


Mystic Reality

by kristaminamino



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:28:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 49,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21814426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristaminamino/pseuds/kristaminamino
Summary: Marlee Callahan is starting over after leaving an abusive relationship. Her days are filled with temp jobs, rom-coms, and a video game called Mystic Messenger. She knows it to be all fake, but when strange things start happening, will the video game give her life new meaning?
Relationships: 707 | Choi Luciel & Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 46





	1. Marlee

_Most people want to be circled by safety, not by the unexpected. The unexpected can take you out. But the unexpected can also take you over and change your life. Put a heart in your body where a stone used to be – Ron Hall_

“Yes mom, I know…” I muttered into my phone as it was wedged between my shoulder and my ear. My hip leaned into the kitchen counter as I idly flipped through a magazine, my mother currently going on about new neighbors that had moved in across the street from her. “Marlee he’s single and young! And he’s just graduating business school!” I rolled my eyes but there was a knock at the door. As I glanced back I said quickly, “Mom I gotta go. I think the guys are here to set up the fridge.” “Alright, dear! I love you! Be sure to talk the-” I clicked off and slid my phone into my back pocket, jogging over to the front door. On my tiptoes, I could see two men in dark navy jumpsuits through the peephole. I quickly unlocked two locks and then pulled the door back, as one of the men asked, “Marlee Callahan?” I nodded and he extended a clipboard to me, and I noted a highlighted section at the bottom requiring a signature. I signed it with a flourish and handed it back, and I stepped back as the two men slowly carried a refrigerator in on a dolly. I stood idly by, but I felt a vibration in my back pocket. I pulled my phone out and glanced at the screen to see a notification.

_New Chat room Open (We are on our way)_

I perked for a moment, my eyes flicking up towards the men as they continued to slowly move into the kitchen. Unlocking my phone and pressing the notification, watched as graphics loaded across the screen. Soon I was in this new chat room with Zen.

[Zen:] Marlee!  
[Zen:] I’m so glad you’re back!

Two white bubbles appeared with predetermined answers, and my eyes furrowed as I glanced at them both. You see, this isn’t a normal chat room with real people. These people were fictional. These people were in a game. A game called Mystic Messenger. Chatting with people for eleven days, falling in love with one, and after that, it’s over. I felt a slight twinge in my chest as I thought about this. I was way too into this game.

[Marlee:] Yes…we had a moment to spare.  
[Zen:] Good!  
[Zen:] You got out!?  
**|Yoosung has entered the chatroom|**  
[Yoosung:] Gahh…  
[Yoosung:] Marlee!!!  
[Yoosung:] Are you okay?  
[Marlee:] We’re safe. We are still locked in…  
[Zen:] What?  
[Yoosung:] I’m so glad you’re safe though!!! T0T  
[Zen:] But why can’t you get out?  
[Zen:] I thought he could hack into anything…

I rolled my eyes. Of course, Seven could hack into anything. The lack of faith coming from Zen rustled me the wrong way, but after a moment I took a breath as I noticed…

**|707 has entered the chatroom|**  
[707:] Zen  
[707:] Yoosung  
[Zen:] Oh!  
[Yoosung:] Seven  
[Yoosung:] I’m glad that Marlee came here first  
[Yoosung:] But I was so worried!  
[Zen:] How’s everything going?  
[707:] It’s being delayed a bit, but the door will open soon.  
[Yoosung:] Thank god…  
[Zen:] You’re with Marlee right?  
[707:] Of course.  
[707:] She’s right beside me, and she’s not hurt.

There went my mind again, fluttering away at the thought of sitting next to Seven. I finished the chat, promising the boys we would find a safe location to continue the search for Saeran. I suddenly realized I was holding my breath, but my head jerked up as I heard, “Ma’am.” I was staring wide-eyed at the delivery man as he was watching me dully, but he said quickly, “Everything is finished and running smoothly. I gave a slight nod as they made their way out, and I shut the door behind them. I turned and focused my attention back to my phone as the chat room was over.

That night I lay in bed, glancing over a book in my lap. My eyes were heavy, but I was determined to finish a chapter. Suddenly I heard my phone vibrate on the side table, and I glanced over. A new email had come over, and I quickly grabbed it up to read. The name of my lawyer flashed and I held my breath. Did I need to read this right now? I stared at the screen for the longest time, until I swallowed down a knot and opened the email.

_Dear Marlee, I hope this email finds you well. I am giving you an update for the weekend. Lewis has his court date set but he is out on probation._

My eyes skimmed the rest, but I was numb to the information. Probation? So he’s free right now… My hand started to shake as my eyes glazed over and before I could stop myself with rational thinking, I tossed my phone to the side and threw the covers back from my bed. I ran to the front door and ran my fingers over the locks, making sure they were correctly placed. My heart was still beating in my throat, but I gave a slight nod and started to walk back to my bedroom. As I entered the door, I glanced around before I shut the door and pushed the lock button in the knob. I stared at the door for the longest time, and slowly I talked myself down from this paranoia. Okay, …that should be good right? I backed myself into the bed and sat on the edge, staring off. My phone buzzed again, and I turned to see a notification from Mystic Messenger. There was a text from Seven, and I furrowed my brow. All the chats were done for the day, and there weren’t any more calls or texts that I knew of. Maybe there was an update for new interactions? I slowly pulled the covers over my legs as I pressed the screen for the notification.

The game loaded and I was presented with the message. _Marlee, I just wanted to be sure you were okay after today…I know it’s been eventful._ I perked an eyebrow but pressed reply. Instead of predetermined messages though, there was a text box with a blinking cursor. I stared at the screen as my thumb hovered over the keyboard, but I muttered, “Some update…” I thought for a moment as I put myself in the mindset of the game. Quickly I responded, _I’m alright. Today was stressful, but nothing a good sleep can’t fix…you get some sleep too_. Reminding myself of his nonexistent sleep schedule, I gave a smile and pressed send. I waited patiently, keeping my eyes on the messages before another appeared after my response. _You’re so cute. I’ll sleep after I check this data…I’m always here for you Marlee, just remember that. Goodnight angel._ After that, the response bar was blacked out, and I only smiled as a nervous flight of butterflies fluttered in the pit of my stomach. Gah, why couldn’t Seven be real? I fell back onto the pillow as I stared up at the ceiling fan, watching it spin slowly. It was probably a poor representation of my mental state to be this attached to a video game character, but I didn’t care. At least at this point right now, his words offered a bit of light in my dull and gray days. I felt my eyes water a bit but I rubbed them idly and turned towards my side table, plugging my phone up and then shutting off the light. I set my book on the table and snuggled in the sheets. My mind replayed his words as I drifted to sleep.


	2. Danger

I lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling and pondering what I would do today. I needed to go grocery shopping, and maybe get a few things for the house for décor. I glanced over at the radio clock on my dresser to see it read 8:04AM. I did just want to say in bed for another hour, but I knew that was impossible. I pursed my lips together but I heard my phone vibrate from the side table. I reached over and grabbed it, pulling the charge from the port. I could see the name _Andrea Michael_ on the screen, and I only swiped to accept the call. “Hello?” I questioned, and I heard a rushed voice on the other end.

“Good morning Ms. Callahan. I hope I’m not waking you up this morning…” I idly rubbed one of my eyes, but muttered, “No just laying in bed right now. I’ve been awake.”  
“Okay good. And I just wanted to be sure you got my email last night?” A knot started to form in my throat again, but I pushed it down and said with a nod, “Yes I saw it…am I safe to go out?” I heard a few papers shuffle on the other end and Andrea said with an exhale, “I believe so. You’ve moved cities, settled in a new house…A short trip out wouldn’t do any harm.” I gave a slight nod, but suddenly heard a collapse of papers and her curse. My eyebrow perked as I questioned, “Everything alright?” She sighed and was silent for a few seconds before she moaned, “I have three other domestic abuse cases with yours, and two of the court dates are this morning. I’m rushing to get everything in hand.”  
“Well don’t let me keep you. Thank you for the update,” I said quickly, and I heard a hum through the phone as if agreeing, but she spoke quickly, “I’ll call you tonight to check on you again, but I will in court all day. Text me if you need anything!” With that, the line went silent, and I merely pressed a button to shut the screen off.

Breakfast and a shower were the first things on my mind this morning, and once those were completed I quickly dressed and skimmed through my phone. I noticed a notification from Mystic Messenger, and as I was about to click the screen, a new text message came up.  
 _Are you free today?_  
I bit the inside of my lip, seeing the message from my younger sister. Since moving back into town, I was able to bond a bit more with my sister. We weren’t close living together, but since I moved out our relationship had improved. I quickly typed up a reply and hit send, letting her know my plans. I tapped my foot as I waited, but she responded quickly with, _Want to get breakfast with me? My treat!_ I couldn’t turn down free food, and the idea of catching up with my sister seemed refreshing, so I smiled and responded, _Of course! Text me the address._

I sipped my orange juice as Lexie bounced in her seat, looking around at the interior of the restaurant. “You know, this place was set up in an old 1920’s speakeasy, and they kept the original ceiling tiles,” she chirped, pointing upwards. I gave a smile as I glanced up. Lexie was into interior design, and at eighteen she had already decided that was what she wanted to make her career. She was obsessed with the style and fashion of the early decades, and she wanted to try bringing that back with a modern twist. “It’s quite nice. I’m glad they kept it,” I said quietly, setting my napkin in my lap. She grinned as she buried her hands in her lap, but said, “So tell me, how is it in your new house? Do you need someone to come decorate?” My eyes glanced up to see her beaming face, but I merely smiled and shook my head. “You know I couldn’t afford you.” Her lips jutted out in a pout, but whined, “That’s why you get the family discount!” I broke into giggles as she snorted, but she merely stirred her water with her straw. “Seriously, no charge…I would love to come over and help you decorate.” I nodded as I rested my chin in my palm, my elbow on the table. There was a silence between us as we patiently waited for our food, but she finally asked with a low voice, “Has there been any news on him?” I sighed and pushed myself back against the cushioned booth. She watched with concern but I mumbled, “He’s out on probation right now…” She tensed in her seat as I started to idly pull apart a straw wrapper, keeping my eyes low. We were silent as the waitress brought us our meals, and as she walked away Lexie leaned in. “That’s crazy! He doesn’t know where you are does he?” I swallowed and shook my head. At least I hoped he didn’t know where I was. Just the thought of what would happen…I shivered, but Lexie’s hand reached across the table, her palm upright. I glanced up at her with watery eyes but she gave a reassuring smile, and I placed my hand in hers. She gave it a little squeeze, but whispered, “I don’t mind going to jail for you."

After lunch with my sister, I made my way over to the grocery store down the road to stock up on everything for the week. It was relatively empty there, so it made getting in and out fairly easy. Pushing my buggy to my car, I started to unload everything into the trunk. I was so focused that when a voice reached my ears I felt my heart stop for a second. “Excuse me miss, do you need help with that?” With my hand on my chest to calm my nerves, I turned to see a young man dressed in khakis with a blue polo, a green apron tied around his neck and waist. I’m assuming he could see my startled expression, so he merely gave a smile and said, “I was just coming out to collect carts, and I thought I might take yours from you.” I gave a slight nod, and he grabbed up my bags to set them neatly in the back. He grabbed the handle of the cart and moved it back as I shut the door of my car. I glanced up at him as he extended a hand. “We usually have regulars here, so I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.” My brow furrowed as I glanced at his hand over, but I took it and gave it a quick shake. “I just moved here about a week ago…just picking up things for the house.” He gave a nod and before he could get out another sentence, the deafening roar of a car engine revved. I could see the man jump out of his skin, but I craned my head to see a gorgeous yellow car make its way down the aisle. I stared at it, and the man gave it an appraising look. “Well, that’s pretty fancy…we don’t see any of these around here…” As it passed us, an attempt to look inside failed as the windows were almost blackout. It made its way down the aisle and turned a corner, but I caught myself muttering, “That was a Lamborghini …” After a short silence, my mind returned and I quickly said, “Thank you again!” I scurried over to my car door and opened it, sliding in.

The week started and I bounced from job to job. One day I was walking dogs to another day babysitting kittens, and then I moved to interning at an office and even cleaning a general store. I will admit there were a few strange occurrences. One morning I woke up to a strange email, filled with binary code. The string of ones and zeros repeating translated roughly to ‘meow’. I know my ex couldn’t be smart enough to send something like that, so I merely laughed along. The next few days in attempts to boot up my laptop left it in a constant cycle of booting and restarting. Frustrated I simply shut it down for the next few days. Next, my phone picked random moments to vibrate or play random noises. In my best efforts to fix the problem, I spent the entire night resetting my phone and restoring everything I had. One job that I was quite fond of was building computers for people. Someone would contact me with a price range, and what type of computer they wanted. And I would spend my night researching the best processors, video cards, etcetera just to build it for that person. Today I was setting up a computer for a relatively easy client. She was an older woman in her sixties, who was told building a computer would be cheaper but didn’t have the know-how on how to do it herself. My information was passed along to her somehow and now I was setting up a desktop in her small home office. She stood by the door frame as she continued to watch me, clearly interested in the process. I plugged the monitor into the back of the tower, and then the power cord into the surge protector. As I popped up from under the desk she asked quickly, “You were able to build this in one night?” I gave a smile and nodded, but I pulled the chair up and plopped down as I cut on the tower. “Yes, ma’am. Cut on some music and I can knock this out in an hour or two.” Her eyes perked as she noticed the monitor cut on, and I added, “Last night I had some spare time so I installed your Operating System. Today I’ll just install some programs and show you everything.” She leaned in a bit as the desktop loaded, and she watched silently as I clicked on Internet Explorer. “Oh, you’re using Internet Explorer as well?” I flinched as I glanced her way, but fought back a tiny giggle. “No, ma’am. Internet Explorer is extremely slow and inefficient. I’m just using it so I can download a faster browser for you.” She gave a nod but there was a knock at her front door. “Oh good the groceries are here…” She slipped out of the office and I heard the door open to a high pitched voice say, “Good day ma’am! I have your grocery order!” I idly perked an eyebrow as I kept my eyes on the screen, but I heard footsteps walk past the office door. I glanced up to see a head poke in, and for a moment I was taken back. She had soft pale skin with rosy cheeks, blonde hair pulled into a messy updo, and bright golden eyes. “Hello!” she chirped, and I merely gave an idle wave. She disappeared from the office and walked into the kitchen to help unload groceries. I found myself staring for a moment before looking back at the monitor as the download process was finished. I clicked through a few things before I heard the high pitch voice bellow, “Oh Ms. Nelson…are you getting a new computer?” My eyes flicked towards the door as both of them appeared, but Ms. Nelson merely gave a nod with a simple smile. “Oh yes. Marlee is doing a splendid job.” I smiled before looking back at the monitor. The sweet smell of perfume entered my nose and soon the young delivery woman was leaning over the desk chair. “Oh good, you’re installing that browser…Just make sure you-”  
“Update the drivers and install necessary programs. Oh, I know.” I turned to see golden eyes watching me, and there was a slight glint of amusement in them. “Oh, good…you know your stuff.”

I found myself in a coffee shop after finishing the computer set up. The encounter with the delivery girl felt a bit strange, but I merely shrugged it off as I took another sip of my hot chocolate. After a moment of contemplation, I stood and slung the strap of my backpack over my shoulder, and stepped out of the coffee shop. Clutching the Styrofoam cup, I carefully made my way to my house. As I walked, I came to a club. There was a small line of people outside with a bouncer standing by the door. I merely walked past, and I turned a corner down an alleyway. “Just a quick short cut,” I muttered, taking a sip of my drink. I could hear my footsteps echo against the brick walls, and soon they were joined by other groups of footsteps. I felt my throat tighten as I heard men laughing behind me, and I merely kept walking. Stupid paranoia, they aren’t interested in you… I thought, but I glanced up as I saw a man run into my path. He stopped, and I noticed him sway on his feet a bit. “Ma’am, I seem to be lost…can I have your phone number?” I heard the laughter behind me but I couldn’t help but give him a look as I tried to push past him. Immediately I was pushed against a brick wall as all three men cornered me. My body shook, and I felt the cup sliver through my fingers. I gripped it tightly as one of the men neared me. The smell of bourbon invaded the air and he said hazily, “My friend was just trying to ask for help…you should be nice…” My heart skipped in my chest as I tried to turn, but the body of a man pushed me back, and I cowered against the wall. I continued to grip the cup tightly, but I heard suddenly, “Hey!” The men turned and I felt my kneecaps knock together. A figure walked down the alleyway, and I glanced to see him near us. In the dark, I couldn’t make out his features, but I heard his voice say, “What’s going on here?” There was a silence between the men and I immediately felt their suffocating presence pull back. “This is my…friend…she’s had too much to drink…” I wasn’t one to act on anger, but I felt my face flush with irritation. “Ma’am?” I looked up at the voice to see his face watching me, but I whispered, “I was just trying to get home…”  
“We’ll help her home officer…” One spoke, and he pulled me away from the wall as his arm went around my shoulders. I felt myself shrink down under his grasp but the new voice spoke quickly, “That won’t be necessary.” I saw a hand reach out to me, and I took it without thinking. His hand was warm and soft, and he pulled me into his chest. I swallowed down the lump in my throat but I heard him say lowly, “I’ll escort her home, and I suggest you three find a safe way home…” I was still as I heard footsteps disappear down the alleyway, but as I glanced behind me the voice asked, “They didn’t’ get a chance to do anything, did they?” Before I could question, the warm hand was tugging on my own and leading me from the alleyway. Under the street lamp, I finally stole a glimpse of my savior. Golden eyes watched me carefully as he pulled the police hat from his head. He ruffled the crimson locks before my brain finally registered the person in front of me. My mouth gaped open as I stared at his face, but he quickly glanced around and said quickly, “Come on…I need to get you home.” With my brain numb to emotion, he grasped my hand and led me away from the alley and to my home.


	3. Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that there are some spoilers to some endings mentioned below.

_Only the unknown frightens men. But once a man has faced the unknown that terror becomes the known – Antoine de Saint-Exuper_

My body felt numb as long fingers gently gripped my hand, pulling me behind him. My eyes wandered over the being in front of me, the street lamps illuminating small details. He wore a dark blue button-up shirt, stretching across his back and tucked neatly into the back of his pants. His legs paced quickly down the sidewalk, clothed in neatly pressed black pants. I noticed his other hand was holding his police hat, and I glanced back up at his brilliant crimson hair again. _This can’t be real…there’s no way. Those guys didn’t drug me and I just forgot, right?_ We came to a corner, and without releasing my hand he leaned in with his hand and hat, his knuckles pressing the crosswalk button. He turned and his eyes caught mine. My eyes scanned his face, and I suddenly felt faint. “Wha…” I breathed, but I watched as he sat the police hat on my head, just to pull his glasses from the front pocket of his shirt. “No questions just yet…Wait till we get you home.” As he pulled the hat from my head, I swallowed and stiffly nodded. Beeping alerted us that it was safe to cross, and he adjusted his hand in mine as we walked across.

“This can’t be real…there’s no way…I’m on drugs right?” I muttered as Seven pushed me gently towards my door. My whole body felt stiff, and my mind was swimming with thoughts. “Where are your keys?” he questioned, and as I continued to stare off he took this as permission to peek into my purse. His finger pulled the opening of my purse open, glancing in. After a quick second, he reached in and grabbed my keychain, pulling it out and locating the house key. He unlocked the door and pushed it back, and then held open the door as he looked at me. I only stared at him, but I opened my mouth. He cocked an eyebrow as he waited for me to say something, but his eyes widened as I inhaled, my breathing turned sporadic. Oh good a panic attack, perfect. My body wavered as my back pressed against the railing of the porch, but Seven moved in towards me and put an arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get inside…just breathe…” I shakily stepped into the doorway, and my hand immediately pressed against the wall. Seven shut the door and immediately enveloped me again, pulling me towards the living room and gently sitting me on the couch. He sat next to me as he pulled his hat off, and his palm touched my knee. With my hand on my chest, I kept my eyes on him. His amber eyes were calm, watching me carefully. I found myself almost lost in his gaze and my breathing hitched again. “Okay, I’m not helping…I’m going to get you some water…breathe okay?” I gave a slight nod as he stood, his hand leaving my knee. I felt the cold attack where his touch once was, and I pushed the thought away of his hand being there again. Focus…breathe… I thought as I squint my eyes shut tight. Second by second my breathing became regular and even, and soon my heart rate followed suit. My eyes were focused on the flooring until his legs came into focus. My eyes trailed upwards to see him watching me, his face almost cautious as to what to do next. I bit my lip and before he could say anything I blurted, “You aren’t Seven…you can’t be…” He continued to watch me, gauging my demeanor, before he said, “Marlee I am who you think I am…” My fingers which were spanned across my chest now clutched the fabric of my shirt, and he walked over with a bottle of water. He sat it in front of me, and then rested his forearms on his thighs. He watched me for a while as I cautiously grabbed the bottle, unscrewing the top and taking a sip. After a moment of silence, I placed the top back on the bottle and set it down. My eyes fluttered over to the man sitting on my couch, but I muttered, “Saeyoung?” His head perked as his eyes flashed over to me, and I held my breath. How on earth was I supposed to accept this? How did a video game character come to life and pretty much save me? I stared at him as he waited patiently, but I whispered, “How…how did this happen? How did you come out of the video game?” His lips curved into a smile and I gave a bewildered look. He finally chuckled and said as he looked back up to me. “I was never in a game…the game was merely based off of our lives…” My brows furrowed, and I could feel my nose scrunch in concentration. Wait…lives…he means…

“Wait, everyone is real?” I questioned, fidgeting on the cushion. I watched as he nodded simply, and my back fell against the cushions. Well, I’ll be damned… I stared at him for the longest time as he continued to smile at me, a smile that seemed somewhat amused at my bafflement. I exhaled quickly but he sat back in the cushions. “Yes, Zen is an aspiring actor, Jumin is a CEO in line, Jaehee is his assistant, and Yoosung is a video game addicted college student.”  
“And what about you?” He froze for a moment and as he made eye contact with me I swear I could see him give a shiver. “Yes…I’m a hacker.”  
“And Saeran? Vanderwood?” I felt myself leaning into him, my palms resting on the middle cushion. He stared at me for the longest time before he muttered, “Yes, Saeran is my brother, and Madam is my supervisor…” Hearing him call Vanderwood ‘Madam’ made me giddy, but I whispered, “Seven… oh my gosh…” He merely smiled at me, but it faltered as I questioned, “What are you doing here?” That’s when he faltered; his hands grasped at one another and he looked down towards the floor. “You were playing the game so consistently and you didn’t attend the party…and I read the history about your ex.” I made a face as he glanced up, but he said quickly, “I’m sorry…I read some files on your ex-husband…” I swallowed back another lump in my throat, and my gaze fixed on a spot in the floor. Of course, he read those. As I continued to stare off, his eyes watched me as he asked gently, “Are you okay?” I nodded slowly, but I muttered, “You were watching me?” He shrugged and situated himself in the cushions. “Just typical hacker monitoring…” He didn’t want to go into details, but I merely stared at him as I pressed myself against the cushions. So he knew about my divorce, the hospital records, everything… I chewed the inside of my lip as we were silent, watching each other.

It was about half an hour later and we had talked a bit. I couldn’t hide the yawn that escaped my mouth, and Seven glanced down at his watch. He stood and stretched back, muttering, “I suppose I should be going.” “You can’t!” I noticed he stopped mid-stretch, and my mouth gaped open. The words merely rushed out of my mouth, and I honestly didn’t have an explanation for why I wanted him to stay. At least one I wanted to explain out loud. I froze as he smirked at me, but he said quickly, “Don’t worry, I can come back if you want me to…” I felt my ears turn hot as I tried my best to brush off the comment, but I watched as he turned towards the door. I followed after him, and as his hand reached the handle, he glanced back at me. My eyes shot up from studying his backside, his serious face causing me to come back to reality. “Keep your doors locked. I know your ex is out on bail.” The mention of this caused me to shiver, but I glanced at the ground as I nodded. There was silence as he turned his body completely to me. “I would prefer staying here to keep an eye on you-” “You can!” I blurted, but he smirked as my cheeks turned pink. He leaned back against the door frame and said, “So…you would be okay with a stranger staying in your house?” His arms crossed and I pursed my lips together. “Sir there is an entire wiki page on you and your history…you’re barely a stranger.” He grinned but pointed to himself and whispered, “Who do you think put those pages together?” I took a step back, but he only winked. His hand came up and ruffled my hair. “I’ll be in the area…I’m just one text away if you need me.” He noticed my unsure face, but he turned fully to me, his hands on my shoulders. I could see his amber eyes gleam behind his glasses, but he whispered, “I mean it…if anything happens I’m here.” “You aren’t going to disappear are you?” His brows knit together in confusion and he noticed the moisture in my eyes. Quickly he squeezed my shoulders and cooed, “Hey look…I’m not going anywhere…I have a hotel near here. I’m going there tonight and I’ll be back tomorrow morning. You just text me when you’re up.”

That night sleep seemed to taunt me. I lay in bed as I stared at the ceiling, watching the ceiling fan turn slowly. My mind kept turning over and over, rewinding the events of today. “He’s real…” I muttered to myself, swallowing. I glanced over at my cell phone on the nightstand. Suddenly the thought occurred to me…I didn’t have his number. How was I supposed to text him? I slapped my hands on my face, groaning. Damn it… I grabbed my phone to busily look into the game app, but I noticed a text message. And not in the game. I made a face as I clicked it. I didn’t recognize the number, but the message read, ‘ _Goodnight 606! I’ll see you tomorrow_ =^∇^=’. Of course, he would already have my number. I noticed the time stamp on the message, and I quickly responded.  
 _I can’t sleep_ … My phone plopped on my chest as I stared back at the ceiling fan, and only after a minute or two, it buzzed. I picked it back up to read, _I understand…sleep is hard for me right now as well. I’m sorry tonight was a complete whirlwind_. I swallowed as I stared at the screen, trying to think of what to send next, but another message came over.  
 _Just think of all the fun we’ll have tomorrow :D  
_ That’s not helping…I huffed and quickly typed, _I need to talk to you_ … _I have so many questions._ I stared at the screen, my eyes feeling strained. After a moment, he responded, _We’ll talk all day tomorrow. I promise. Get some sleep.  
_ _Okay…goodnight Saeyoung._ I plugged the phone back into the charger and before I could get settled it buzzed again. I turned to swipe the screen, and instead of a message, he had sent a gif, one with many hearts. I felt my heart speed up, but I merely set it back on the table.

I awoke the next morning after a very fitful sleep. Even my typical melatonin didn’t seem to help. I sighed and snuggled the covers a bit, before I heard my phone play a melody, indicating a phone call. I turned over and grabbed it up, noticing the number from last night. I swiped the screen, but answered, “Hello?”  
“What do you prefer for breakfast?” I blinked at the straightforward question, but I mumbled, “Good morning to you as well.”  
“606 this is no time for sarcasm! Breakfast choice ASAP!”  
“Coffee with a croissant!” I said, my voice a little bit louder. I heard a chuckle through his other end, and I swear I heard it through a smile. “Good choice. I’ll be at your place in fifteen minutes.” With that, he hung up, and I made a face as I stared at my phone. The hell…? Either way, I made sure to make myself presentable in the time frame. I quickly got a shower and put a bit of makeup on before dressing in a t-shirt dress and thigh-high socks.

I walked out of my bedroom to hear a knock at the door. I paced over and glanced through the peephole to see Seven looking towards it, sticking his tongue out. I rolled my eyes but unlocked it and pulled it open. He had a cup holder, two paper cups in it. In his other hand, he had a small paper bag. “Good morning!” He chimed, and I stepped back as he sauntered in. As I shut the door, he walked over to the dining room table and set everything down. I crossed my arms to walk over, and he turned with a grin. He noticed my unsure face, and before he could ask I questioned, “You brought me breakfast?”  
“Well…yeah. I thought I would do something nice since yesterday was so weird.” I neared him and he extended a cup to me. “Coffee! I didn’t put any sugar or cream in it…” I nodded and walked into the kitchen to grab my add-ins. He glanced around awkwardly as he ruffled his hair, but asked casually, “So…you got questions and I got answers.” I glanced up from pouring the sweetener in my coffee, but I reached for the creamer on the counter. “I suppose you could call them questions. It’s probably more of an interrogation.” I perked an eyebrow as he nodded, his face unwavering.

We sat on the couch as I fired off questions, and he answered them without wavering. He watched me with a serious face as I asked everything on my mind, and after a long session, he answered everything. Whether I believed it was a different question. He and everyone else existed, the RFA, Rika and Jihyun, even his brother with their difficult past. However, he stated his father wasn’t a politician, but more so an absent father in their lives. He did indeed leave to try and better his and Saeran’s life through illegal means, but after their mother was institutionalized with depression and mania, Saeran was lost to him. “So Rika did take him?” I asked, and he nodded silently. It was true Rika started her own cult and Saeran was part of it, but he added, “Everything is taken care of. Rika is in a hospital, and Saeran is with me. He attends his weekly therapy sessions, and he’s getting better slowly but surely.” His face faded into a slight smile for a moment before it disappeared again. I looked up at the ceiling, thinking of any other questions, and he sipped his drink. I glanced back at him and asked, “Is V blind?” He shook his head and added quickly, “And not dead. We convinced him to get the surgery. It’s not one hundred percent, but I think he’s happy to be taking photos and painting again.” I nodded and we were silent. I pursed my lips as he set his cup down on the coffee table, but he leaned back in the cushions. “Where is your computer by the way?” he questioned, and I made a face. “It’s in that room.” I pointed to a dark room with the doorway across from my bedroom. He stood and walked towards it, and I quickly followed. He cut the light on and immediately did a little excited wiggle. Building PCs was a fun hobby, but I took mine seriously. Two monitors were attached to the wall, with a small wooden desk holding my lit up pink keyboard and pink mouse. My case sat on the floor, almost 3 feet tall. He stepped over to my desk, but I followed quickly. “Um, why?” He cut the computer on, and the lights flashed in the glass siding of the tower, and he gave me a smirk. “Your protection is lacking.” My cheeks puffed out in annoyance and as the login screen popped up before I could say anything he was already typing in a four-digit pin. I gaped, but he merely cracked his knuckles and started typing furiously. “You’ve hacked my computer before haven’t you?” He continued typing, but mumbled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” I rolled my eyes but plopped down in the lounge chair behind him. I watched him work, busily opening and closing tabs on browsers, clicking here and there. I swallowed, and for a moment I forgot my surroundings. In my poor relationship, _Mystic Messenger_ was my refuge. And I can’t deny I had fantasized about Saeyoung being my boyfriend. And here he sat in front of me, busily typing on my pink keyboard. God, I hope he didn’t read my fanfiction. “Done!” He spoke happily, stretching back in the chair. I perked and stood from my chair, walking to the desk. I looked over the screen but questioned, “I’ve never heard of that software…”  
“It’s one that’s somewhat secretive…hackers use it all the time. Works better than pretty much anything on the public market.” I perked an eyebrow as he sat back in the chair, the back of it leaning a bit. I glanced at him as he patted his lap and asked, waggling his eyebrows, “Now you want to act out those fan fictions you wrote?”

We sat in Saeyoung’s car as he sped down the highway. I stared out the window, but I heard him say, “Can I say I’m sorry again?”  
“It won’t work,” I mumbled, my cheeks heating up again. He sighed and glanced over to see my posture guarded, but he added, “Can I say your writing is really good.” I was silent, and he took this opportunity to pull himself out of the grave. “I mean, why don’t you try publishing? Your use of words and imagination-”  
“He told me I can’t.” He stopped as he looked at me from his peripherals. My body was still turned away but my head was bowed slightly. I had been writing since sixth grade, and once I got married it didn’t change. But once I brought the idea to my then-husband, I only got yelled at. _“Who would want to read your garbage? You’re crazy.”_ I shivered for a moment, and from my side view, I could see Saeyoung reach out. I glanced at him as his hand hovered for a moment, and as if rethinking the situation, he brought it back. He continued to drive, but now his voice sounded strained. “You should publish. You would surprise yourself with how much attention they would get.” He kept his eyes on the road, but I only watched his face. He seemed to be holding something back, and his knuckles gripping the steering wheel only confirmed this. I settled back into the seat as I nodded, but intent on changing the subject I questioned, “So, we’re meeting everyone else today?” He gave a nod, and he seemed to relax a bit. “Of course Yoosung and Zen are over the moon to meet you.”  
“Jaehee and Jumin?” He chuckled, but said, “Jumin is curious, and Jaehee said as long as you don’t call her Baehee to her face she’s fine.” I couldn’t fight the giggle that surfaced but I nodded.


	4. Meeting

We pulled up to a tall building, the windows glinting in the sun. There was a large sign in a patch of grass that read _R &C International. _My face deadpanned and I glanced at Seven as he put the car in park. “Really? All you did was switch the letters?” He shrugged and pulled the keys from the ignition. “I mean…no one has noticed.” Well, he had a point. We opened our doors and stepped out in the cool breeze. I stood and marveled at the building before Seven walked around to my side, phone in his hand. He was busily moving his fingers across the screen, but he put it away and gave me a look. “Ready?” he beamed, and I gave a slight nod. Before I moved I noticed he stuck his elbow out, an invitation for me to take it. I gave a little side smile before I hooked my arm in the crook of his. “Why thank you, sir.” He bowed his head and we made our way across the road towards the towering building.

As we entered the front entrance, Seven made his way across to the front desk. There a man with a suit stood, palms connected in front of him. As Seven approached the man said gruffly, “Welcome. Mr. Han is waiting for you.” Seven gave a nod and the man turned, and we continued to walk behind him. My eyes were wide, darting around the pristine office setting. Numerous clicks came from women who walked by, their heels shining under the lighting. Men in crisp suits stood by, talking over portfolios and papers. There were numerous closed offices, the walls lined with windows to see in. We reached the elevator and the man pressed the up button. I leaned into Seven and I whispered, “What if they don’t like me?”  
“They’ll love you. Calm down.”

I took a deep breath but his free hand grabbed mine and squeezed it. I exhaled and the elevator doors slowly opened. The man opened his mouth but Seven waved his hand and said, “24th floor. Got it.” He strode in as I followed and the man gave a look as Seven pressed a button. The doors closed and Seven glanced at me. “You alright?” I was staring off as I nodded slowly, but he glanced behind us.  
“Check out the view.” I turned and I gasped, leaning against the metal bars of the wall. The walls going up were glass, and I was able to see the entire city as we rose into the air. “This is crazy,” I breathed, and Seven merely laughed. I continued to stare out as we went up, but the elevator beeped and the doors opened as I turned. The floor was fairly open concept except for a desk next to a large set of double doors. We stepped out and a woman sat at the desk talking on the phone. Her short brown hair was neatly styled on the top of her head, and she held the receiver between her shoulder and ear. We walked towards the desk and the woman glanced up but continued her conversation. “Yes sir…yes…I will have Mr. Han contact you after his current meeting.” We stood in front as she finished the call, but as she set the headset down Seven released my arm and threw his hands in the air, crying, “BAEHEE!” She glared at him and he only grinned at her, but her eyes flicked to me. “Is this-”  
“Marlee.” I felt his hand on my back as I kept my eyes on her, and her face changed to a slight mix of happiness and excitement. “Marlee! It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you.” Jaehee walked from behind the desk and as I slowly raised my hand for a handshake, she took me into a hug. I tensed for a moment before she patted my back and pulled away. She had a gentle smile, but she gave a side-eye to Seven. “Luciel here wouldn’t stop talking about you since he started looking into you.” I looked over at him as his cheeks flushed but he mumbled, “Just general curiosity…” As she led me towards the double doors I glanced at Seven with a smug look. “General curiosity huh?” He merely glanced the other way and shoved his hands in his jean pockets.

We walked through the double doors right into a ‘discussion’ between Jumin and Zen. Jumin sat in a chair while Zen stood in front of a chair across from him. Yoosung seemed busy on his phone, headphones on. “And I’m telling you Mr. Trust Fund that I’m saying no to that production!” Jumin glanced up with a bored stare, one that agitated Zen even more. “Zen I’m surprised you would say no to a starring role…”  
“Yeah if you’re going to put me up for an audition of _Cats,_ then it should be no surprise I say no.” Jaehee cleared her throat as I stifled a giggle, and the two men glanced up. They’re eyes widened slightly as Jaehee introduced me, but Jumin glanced towards Yoosung who was still engrossed in his game. He balled up a piece of paper and threw it towards the blonde, who immediately flailed at the surprise. He pulled his headphones off and before he could ask, he saw me standing next to Jaehee and Seven. There was a moment of silence before Jumin stood and said quickly, “Welcome Marlee.” Zen strode over to me with a large smile, and I inhaled as he took my hand in his. “Marlee, we’ve been waiting to meet you for such a long time.” His crimson eyes glistened as he kissed my knuckles, and I felt my face flush. Jumin stepped over as he straightened his tie, and Yoosung bound over with an infectious enthusiasm. Zen released me and took a step back as Yoosung took me in a hug. “Seven has been telling us all these things about you! I’m so glad to meet you!” I was a bit more relaxed in this hug as I hugged him back, and as he stepped back Jumin approached me finally. “We’ve heard many positive things about you.” He extended his hand and I gave it a firm shake.

We sat around the oval table, talking about their lives and dissecting fact from fiction. After refreshments of lemon water, Jumin cleared his throat. I took a sip of my water as he leaned forward on the table, his forearms rested against the surface while his fingers laced together. “I know you met Luciel yesterday, and you two spoke briefly.” He paused as I nodded, and he continued. “I am unsure if he told you everything, but I’ll be blunt. We’re looking for someone to host our RFA parties again, and Luciel recommended you.” My eyes widened as I sputtered, coughing as I set the water down. Jaehee quickly patted my back as Yoosung and Zen sat up, but quickly wiped my mouth with a napkin. “You can’t be serious…” I glanced at Seven to see his chair turned away as he idly whistled, ignoring my glare. I looked back at Jumin to see his serious face, and I muttered, “You’re serious…”  
“Of course. I wouldn’t jokingly offer this position to just anyone.” My brow furrowed in thought, and I sat back in my chair with my arms crossed. There was silence, and Seven turned slightly to gauge my expression. After a moment, I asked quietly, “I just have to take recommendations, and answer emails from potential guests, right?”  
“Correct.”  
“And I can stay at my house, right? Not a bomb loaded apartment?” There was a snort from Zen, but Jumin gave him a side glance as he said quickly, “Correct. You can stay at your house.” I chewed the inside of my lip as I continued to think, but Yoosung perked as he said quickly, “If you host, we can have parties again!”

“Yeah, we haven’t had one in over a year. It would be a nice change of pace to have a coordinator again,” Zen added. I glanced between them and finally sat up in the chair. “Okay, I’ll do it.”  
The cheers between Seven, Yoosung, and Zen were almost deafening, but I giggled at their enthusiasm. Jumin merely smiled and sat back in his chair.

I sat in Seven’s car again as we drove down the streets, and there was nothing but silence between us. As he came to a red light, I finally cleared my throat and questioned, “So…you failed to mention you guys were looking for a new planner.” He was quiet as he readjusted his grip on the steering wheel, but he muttered, “Sorry…” I noticed his tone and my eyes flickered to the corners, stealing a glance. His face seemed almost conflicted, maybe guilt? Determined to change the subject I looked forward as he turned at the light. “Where are we going now?” His hands were steady on the wheel but as we took an exit he said quickly, “Heading to the bunker for a moment.”  
“I get to see the infamous Defender of Justice’s bunker?” I could see his eyes glance over to me and there was a slight smirk. “Yes, yes you do.”

We walked up to a steel door with a speaker next to it on the wall. I trailed behind Seven as he walked up to it, pressed a button, and said flawlessly, “Mahatat fada'.” There was a loud click and then a beep. I took a breath as I looked it over but Seven pushed the door open and ushered me in. I stepped inside a small living room, a sofa and chair set up around a flat-screen TV. Separated by a half wall was a kitchen, small in size but modern by the appliances. Seven shut the door as I stood marveling at his home, but he paced past the kitchen towards a closed door. “I need to grab something from my room.” I gave a slight nod as he continued walking, but he stopped and turned. “You can follow me if you want.”  
“Is that an invitation to your bedroom? Sir, I hardly know you.” I gave a little grin as he turned with an amused face, but his ears were slightly pink. I followed slowly behind him, and as he entered his bedroom another door across from his opened. I stopped as a carbon copy walked out, and he stopped as he saw me. He stopped as his eyes caught mine, but I gave a simple wave. “Are you Marlee?” Nodding, he gave a side-eye into Seven’s room. “Thank god…he wouldn’t shut up about you.”  
“Saeran!”  
I stepped to the side as Saeran walked past me, plopping down on the couch across from the TV and grabbing the remote. I continued to stare until Seven’s monologue brought me back to reality. I walked to the door to see him digging through shirts. “I know I had it in here…” I glanced around his room, curious to take in details. The walls were grey, plastered with a myriad of different posters. One showed the milky way in detail, another was a meme poster of Chef Gordon Lamsay. Across from his bed sat a metal-framed desk, the surface made of glass. He had three monitors centered around the desk chair, his tower obscured by the side of the desk. I looked over to his bed, seeing it unmade and messy with a pillow flung to the floor. A pile of clothes sat on one side, but I focused as Seven walked to his desk, pushing away empty bags of Honey Buddha Chips. He groaned and mumbled, “Fine…” He pulled his chair back against the wood flooring and started his computer, and he pressed a button to start it up. I glanced around unsurely but he glanced back and said as he typed his login information, “You can sit down if you want.” I gave a slight frown as I gave his bed a look before sitting down slowly. Oh, all the times I wrote about being in Seven’s bed… I felt my heart flutter as my cheeks burned but I shook it away quickly before he could tease me. I waited patiently, but he turned his chair to me. “Give me your phone.”  
“Please?” I added, pulling my phone from my purse. We kept eye contact for a moment before he pouted and asked in baby talk, “Pwease?” My bottom lip jutted out in frustration as I pushed my phone forward, and he took it happily. I watched as he plugged it into his computer and then brought up a file to transfer. “You aren’t putting a GPS on my phone are you?” He stopped and gave a stiff look, but he questioned, “Do you prefer I not?”  
“Yes?”  
“Hmm too bad,” I grumbled as he turned back to his desktop, adding a file to my phone. I watched with curiosity, and after it finished the transfer he picked up my phone. He scrolled through until he found the file, and busily typed something in. After a moment of continued silence, he unplugged my phone and handed it back to me. “I installed the chatroom for the RFA. Now you can chat with all of us, and you have all of our contact information.” I gave a nod as I glanced down at the new icon on my screen, but he stuffed wires away and turned off his desktop. “Alright, ready to get home?” In all honesty, I wasn’t. Being at home I was alone, without anyone to converse with. I enjoyed being in everyone’s presence. I only gave a slight nod as I slipped my phone back into my purse. He locked the computer and pushed his chair back, and then ushered me out of his room.

We stepped back into the main area to see a new person standing there. He wore leather pants and a leather top with leopard print on the inside. His chestnut hair was neatly brushed to rest on each shoulder. His chocolate eyes glinted for a moment as he noted Seven and I step out of his bedroom. “Seven, please tell me-”  
“Madam I have it under control. I’m almost done with my assignment.” He went to walk past Vanderwood but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Seven stared at Vaderwood for a moment as he quipped, “Assignment now.” Seven groaned and gave me a look. I shrugged and muttered, “Go ahead. I can wait.” Seven gave a slight glare towards Vanderwood before he turned back towards his room. My eyes followed after him for a moment before Vanderwood cleared his throat, and I looked towards him. He was studying me, almost intrigued at this new presence, but he asked, “Girlfriend?” My brows narrowed for a moment but I heard Saeran from the couch, “Marlee.”  
Vanderwood rolled his eyes, but he walked past me to Seven’s bedroom. I watched, but I started to walk to the bedroom as I heard, “If you let this little crush distract you…”  
“Madam please!”

Saeran and I sat quietly on the couch as he flipped through channels. I fiddled with my phone, but Saeran’s voice perked me up. “I do think my idiot brother has a crush on you.” I blushed for a moment, but I questioned, “You think so?” He nodded as he looked back at the TV. His fingers continued to press buttons but he whispered, “I remember, one night he found your information and he wouldn’t stop talking about you. He spent the rest of the night on the computer looking up your information.” My face scrunched up in confusion, but I whispered, “That doesn’t mean a crush.”

“Yeah but he just kept going on about how someone like your husband could hurt such a ‘beautiful creature’.” Then I felt my face heat up, and I looked down at my phone to ignore my embarrassment. After a total of thirty minutes, Seven’s door opened and he stepped out with Vanderwood following closely behind. He strode towards the front door before he said, “Come on Marlee. I’m gonna take you home.” I nodded quickly and jumped up, but gave a quick wave to Saeran as he returned the gesture, and we stepped outside.

Seven drove me home and we stood outside my house as I worked on unlocking the door. “You’ll have access to the chat rooms now, and everyone can call or text you,” he went on, glancing down. I unlocked my door and turned to him. After my silence, he looked up to gauge my reaction. “Did you want to come inside for a moment before you leave?” I questioned, but he shook his head quickly. I swallowed and nodded, looking down at my keys. “If you need any help, just text me…I can help you with any technical issues…” I nodded, and both of us kept looking at the deck. After a moment, I whispered, “Seven?” He peeked up at me, and I smiled. “Thank you, for bringing me into the group.” He gave a slight smile as he nodded, but he froze as I leaned in and hugged him. His body was tense under my touch, and I felt almost bad for hugging him. But I muttered, “These past few months I’ve felt so down and empty, but thank you for bringing this amazing group of people to me.” There was a moment where I didn’t think he would return the touch but his arms wrapped around me slowly as he hugged me back. “Of course Marlee…you’re pretty special.”

That night I walked around brushing my teeth, glancing at my phone with my free hand. I hadn’t heard from Seven the rest of the night, but I had been talking to Zen, Yoosung, Jaehee, and Jumin since then. They had recommended guests to me and I was busy reading through and responding to each guest. I walked back to my bathroom and finish brushing my teeth, and then settled into the bed from the night. I lay there idly looking through my phone before I got a text from Seven. I felt my breath hitch for a moment before I clicked his text.

 _Marlee, I’m glad you’re apart of the RFA now._  
Pretty tame for now, and part of me was hoping for a declaration of love, but I responded _I am too. Thank you for finding me._ I hit send and then stared at my home screen as I waited for his response. It was silent for a while, and for a moment I was convinced he wouldn’t respond. But suddenly another message came through _Like I said if you have any issues just let me know._ I huffed, seeing what he had told me earlier. I wanted to take the next step, but the butterflies in my stomach talked me down. I chewed my bottom lip for a moment before I simply responded, _I will. Thank you, Seven._ I set my phone to the side and faced the ceiling, staring up and waiting for some sort of epiphany. For the longest time, I had a crush on Seven, and now that he was in my life I was hesitating. I doubted he would like me. I mean, all he experienced from me was predetermined responses. Who’s to say he would like the genuine me? The tattered, beaten me? As thoughts raced through my head I felt tears cloud my sight and I quickly wiped them away. I heard my phone vibrate on the side table but I ignored it as I turned over and cried into my pillow.


	5. Pain

_Every broken piece of me will always fit with every missing piece of you – R.M. Drake_

The coming week was full of guest recommendations and talking with everyone in the chat rooms. Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of late-night chats, but some nights when I found myself awake drowning in thoughts and negative talk, someone would always log in. Talks with Seven became distant, and I was almost curious if it was something I had done or said. In the game when you attempted to get close to Seven, he was notorious for pushing you away. If everything in the main story was solved, then why was this still an issue. Maybe, in all honesty, he didn’t care for me at all, and his flirtatious jokes were just part of his gag.

I leaned against the counter as I stirred my coffee, staring off towards the stone backsplash against the wall. I was so lost in thoughts that I didn’t even notice I had missed a phone call. I set the spoon to the side and glanced at the screen to see one missed call from Zen. I made a face as I picked the phone up, and redialed his number. As I grasped the coffee and headed to my computer I heard a click before he answered. “I’m sorry I missed your call. What’s up?” I settled into my desk as he gave a sigh and asked, “Marlee, no problem. I just had a small proposition for you.” I made a face as I clicked around on my desktop, but as a browser popped up I muttered quietly, “I’m listening…”  
“I have a rehearsal today for a play, and I’ll be leaving a bit early. I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch together.” I held my breath for a moment as I stopped clicking around. Lunch with Zen? Oh gosh… My heart sped up for a moment, and in the silence, he rushed, “I mean, you don’t have to of course. I could always head home right after or something.”  
“No, no! Lunch sounds good!”  
“Oh great! We can meet at that café near rich kid’s work. They have the best lattes.” I gave a little smile and nodded, and once we finalized everything I hung up the phone. Oh, good lunch with Zen…this isn’t a date right?

I gave my hair a few final curls, gave my makeup a final look in the mirror before I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. I slipped on my shoes and pulled the door open to see Seven standing there, hand raised as if to knock. He stared at me for a moment, his mouth hung slightly open as I kept my eyes on his. “Yes?” I questioned, and his hand fell immediately back to his side. He seemed to be thinking about his words for a moment before he quickly grinned. “606 I have a proposition for you.” My eyes widened as he pulled a pair of tickets from his pocket. “Two tickets to the local technology convention in town!” I gaped at the two paper slips in between his fingers. Oh god, how did he get those? It’s been sold out- oh wait I forgot who I was talking about. I crossed my arms as my face cleaned of any shock or happiness, and his face fell. “What…you already had tickets?” I chewed the inside of my lip for a moment, debating on how to approach the topic, but before I could stop myself I muttered; “Now you’re talking to me?” His face fell and his eyes were downcast suddenly. His expression suddenly made me guilty, like I just scolded a puppy. “Marlee, I’m sorry…I was buried under work and Vandy had me constantly at my computer.”  
“You couldn’t shoot me a text? Or a quick phone call?” I could feel the agitation in my voice as I gave a slight pout, but he kept his eyes on the deck. “I know…I’m sorry.” I sighed as I stepped out and shut the door, locking it behind me. He gave me a once over before he stuffed the tickets in his pocket. “Where are you going all dressed up?” I walked past him as he followed down the steps, but I said casually, “I have an interview at a strip club.” I heard his heavy steps stop as I stopped as well, but I turned with a smile. His face was blank before he noticed my little grin, and then he added, “Haha, you had me there…” I crinkled my nose as I made my way to my car, but as I opened the door he leaned in casually on his arm against the side. I caught his eyes as he watched me, but I said simply, “Zen invited me out to lunch.” He tensed for a moment against the metal of my car, and as I went to throw my purse in he grabbed it up and slung it over his shoulder. There was silence as I snorted. “You’ve done that before haven’t you?”  
His glasses slid down his nose for a moment as he looked at me over the rims. “Would you be surprised if I said yes?” I pursed my lips together and looked up for a moment, but simply shook my head. He nodded and pulled me gently to the side as he shut my car door, but he motioned for the bright yellow sports car in front of us. “Let me escort you! I haven’t seen Zen in ages.” As he jogged to the passenger side and I followed behind, I questioned, “You’re crashing our lunch?” He grinned as he opened the door for me, but simply nodded. He handed me my purse and then shut the door before he got to his side. I settled into the plush leather seat before a thought occurred to me. He slid into his seat as I looked at him with wide eyes, but I questioned, “That was you at the grocery store parking lot wasn’t it?” He started the engine and the roar under the hood was deafening. As he slid his seatbelt on he clicked his tongue and looked back as he backed out of the driveway.  
“You’re ignoring me aren’t you?” I could see a smile tug at the corner of his lips as he pulled onto the road but I huffed and put on my seatbelt.

We arrived outside a small café and we stepped out to see multiple people sitting outside in patio chairs. I glanced over the outside as Seven stepped next to me, but I glanced over to him as he spoke. “There’s a tech store nearby. I can browse while you have lunch.” I felt almost rude for not inviting him to lunch, but I said quickly, “I’m sure Zen won’t mind if you join us.” He gave a side glance as I smiled gently, but he merely shook his head. “Nah, I won’t do that to him. Just text me when you get done.” He squeezed my shoulder before he turned and walked away, hands in his pockets. Damn it why did it pain me to watch him walk away. I swallowed but soon I heard a bell ding and someone call my name. I turned quickly to see Zen waving, a smile on his face. I smiled and waved back, walking over to the door.

Zen and I settled at an outside table, him sipping water with a lemon and a salad. I was suddenly self-conscious of what I ate, so I merely ordered a chai latte and a croissant sandwich. I idly pulled at the bread as Zen started to eat his salad rather quickly, and I glanced up. “Did you eat breakfast?” He glanced up as he slid the fork from his mouth, but he shook his head. “I was so late for rehearsals I had to skip." I gave a nod and looked back at my sandwich. Soon we were talking about ourselves, his rehearsal, and any other projects he had going on. Soon he sat back in his chair, after finishing a majority of his salad, but he muttered, “Yoosung was hell-bent on joining us today.” I stifled a giggle as I took a small bite of my sandwich, but I set it back on the plate and wiped the corner of my mouth. “Seven was intent on joining us, but I told him I felt rude for bringing someone unexpected.” He gave a little laugh, his voice almost melodic. I smiled and took a sip of my coffee, but I suddenly heard, “Hey Marlee!” I turned to see my sister approaching with a smile, and I could see her face lose its happiness as it was replaced with shock. I swallowed a knot in my throat as she approached, two or three bags full of purchases in her hand. She stared at Zen but I looked between them for a moment before I said quickly, “Oh Lexie, this is Zen. He’s a friend of mine. Zen, this is my little sister Lexie.” He smiled and stood, shaking her hand over the fencing of the restaurant. “Hello, Lexie. The pleasure is mine.” She nodded slowly, but she popped her mouth shut as she realized she was gaping at him. Stuttering, she glanced at me as Zen sat back down. “Marlee, um…I…sorry I didn’t mean to drop in on a date.” I flustered for a moment, as did Zen, but he merely held his hands up. “Oh no, it’s not a date. I just invited Marlee out for lunch after play rehearsals. Just a lunch to get to know each other better and talk.” I nodded as I glanced up at her under my lashes. I could only imagine the questions running through her head, but she merely nodded. She shifted her feet nervously but said quickly, “Anyways, I was out shopping and I just spotted you. I’ll let you get back to your lunch, but I’ll call you later.” I nodded as she waved and walked away, and I noticed her give me a look that almost demanded I answer questions right there on the spot. As she walked away, Zen smiled and took a sip of his water. “Sister huh? Are you two close?” I shrugged and finished the rest of my sandwich, but said quickly, “Living at home we weren’t the closest, but once I moved out our relationship got better…weird how that works.” He nodded and idly played with the fork, but he muttered, “It’s good to be close with your family.”

I finished lunch and said goodbye to Zen before making my way to the tech store down the street. I sent Seven a quick text before I stepped in. Surrounded by display computers and monitors made me smile absentmindedly, and I quickly made my way to a shiny new all in one computer. I bent over as I looked over the desktop, but with a quick click of two shortcut buttons, I brought up a window revealing the inside works from the computer. I skimmed through the drivers, and then glanced at the price. I snorted as I looked back at the screen and muttered, “Way too expensive.”  
“Hello, Miss. Looking for a new computer?” I perked my eyes up to see a man looking at me, smiling widely. His black hair was slicked back neatly with entirely too much gel, but I stood up straight as I clicked out of the window. “I’m afraid not, seeing that these desktops are incredibly overpriced for what’s inside of them.” His face fell for a moment as I crossed my arms, but he rubbed the back of his head. “It may be expensive, but you are paying for convenience of the all in one, along with the touch screen.” I cocked an eyebrow but glanced at the computer. True the touch screen was a bit of a splurge, but it still shouldn’t be that expensive. I merely shook my head, but asked quickly, “Can you show me your video cards?” He nodded and soon his smile came back as he weaved in and out of isles, coming to one with a locked display. I glanced through the boxes as he watched me, but he asked, “Are you buying something for a brother, or boyfriend maybe?” I ignored the tone in his voice as I kept my eyes on the glass, but I said quickly, “I’m looking for a specific video card for my desktop…I was hoping to upgrade.” He nodded and I noticed as he leaned down with me. Okay, you’re getting too close. “Well the 680 is pretty good, and you can do a lot with that.”  
I shot him a look and his confidence fell as I said flatly, “That was released in 2012.” He blinked as I looked back at the case, but he muttered, “Okay…the 980 is a bit newer, but it’s pretty powerful.” Mentally I rolled my eyes but I finally found the one I wanted. I gaped though at the price. “The Titan RTX is $3000!”

“Hey, babe!” I heard, and I turned as I saw a head of fiery red hair come towards me. He had a grin on his face, a bag in his hand. The man stood and shuffled back a bit, noticing as the newcomer extended his hand to help me up. The man quickly stuttered, “Well let me know if you have any questions or if you know which one you want!” With that, he turned quickly and paced away. I watched him for a long time before Seven leaned in and whispered, “Do you want to guess how many times he was staring at your butt?” My cheeks reddened as I shot him a look, but he shrugged. “I _have_ been watching you since you got here.” I merely gave him a small smile. It was nice to know as soon as I stepped in the building I was under his watchful eye. Suddenly I gave a little smirk and said, “So how many times did you look at my butt?”

His cheeks turned the same shade as his hair, but he stammered, “Zero!” I merely patted his arm as I giggled, but I looked back at the case with a sigh. Price gauging here was ridiculous. I merely shook my head and said, “I’ll just get it online. It’s way too expensive here.”  
“Which?” I pointed to the bottom of the case, where a lone box sat in the corner. He gave a low hum and commented, “Good taste.”  
“Thank you!” I chirped, and he smiled.

We walked to his car slowly, talking about the video card in question. I finally noticed again the bag in his hand, and I questioned, “What did you end up buying?” He wiggled his eyebrows and said, “The super awesome Zoomba s9+.” I chuckled but he opened the bag a bit so I could see. I gave it an appraising look as I nodded, but as he unlocked his car I giggled, “You’re lightening Madam’s load around the house. That’s sweet.” He shrugged and shut the trunk, but said quickly as he adjusted his hoodie, “Yeah I’m a pretty sweet guy.” I giggled as he skipped over to the passenger side and opened the door with flourish, bowing. As I stepped over, I did a small curtsy before getting in. As he shut my door and walked to the other side, I pulled my phone out to notice three missed calls and five texts. All from Lexie. “Oh good lord…” I muttered, going through the texts. The driver's side opened and shut as he sat in the seat, and he noticed me worriedly going through my phone. “Whatsup?” I glanced through the messages before sighing and dialing her number, but said quickly, “My sister. She saw me with Zen earlier and immediately assumed I was on a date.” His eyebrow perked as he started the car, and started to drive back to my house. I chewed on my bottom lip until I heard a click. “Hey, Lex-”

“Excuse me I need details? Who was that God you were with earlier, and why haven’t I heard anything about him?” I rolled my eyes but I said quickly, “Lexie I swear, he’s a friend.”  
She was silent for a moment as she asked, “Promise?” I nodded and said quickly, “I promise. I…I’ve been talking to him online for a while, and I finally met him in person the other day.” Seven snorted as he turned a corner, but I gave his arm a little playful slap. She was silent, but she added, “Well can you introduce me so that I can date him?”  
“Oh my God Lexie,” I giggled, covering my face.  
We arrived at my house and Seven walked me up to my door again. I started to unlock my door before my phone rang again. “Weird…she better not be calling to get Zen’s number…” I pulled my phone out to see an unknown number, but I pressed a button and pressed it to my ear. “Hello?”  
“Marlee, baby?” I froze as my keys fell from my hand. “L-Lewis…” I whispered, and I felt my heart stop for a moment. Seven perked from where he was leaning against the railing. I covered my mouth as I heard his breathing, but he whispered, “Marlee babe where are you? I miss you so much…”  
My mouth was gaped open, but no words came out. My throat and mouth were suddenly dry, and my stomach felt sick. “Babe come on, we can just put all of this behind us, right? Drop all these charges and let me come home? We can be a family again…” My knees felt weak and I suddenly felt them give out from my weight, but Seven was quick to grab me up. He took the phone from me and hit END, but he whispered, “Marlee…”  
“He has my number, how did he get my number? Oh god, he’s going to find me…” My breathing was sporadic as I felt tears cloud my eyes. “Seven he’s going to find me…” I immediately looked into his face to see it pained, but I quickly threw my arms around him. I needed comfort. I need an anchor. I held on tightly, and I hoped he wouldn’t push me away at this time, but he merely slipped my phone into my purse and picked it up in his hand, and then lifted me into his arms. “Come on, let’s get inside…” he cooed, and I cried into his shoulder.

I sat on the couch with a cup of tea, as Seven sat next to me. My makeup was smeared as I stared at the cup, the occasional sniffle fighting it’s way out every so often. He kept his eyes on me, studying my form. I wiped under my eyes, but I whispered, “Thank you for staying…”  
“Of course.” I looked up at him and sniffled. “You can leave whenever…I don’t want you to think-”

“Shh. I’ll stay as long as you need me.” I felt a shiver as I nodded, but I took a small sip of my tea. As I set it on the table, he glanced at my purse. Since Lewis called, Seven has set it to silent so I wouldn’t hear it ring anymore. He looked back at me and questioned, “Why don’t you go get changed?” I gave a humorless laugh as I wiped under my eyes, but I muttered, “I know I look like a mess…” His eyes were sincere but he shook his head as he leaned in and wiped a stray tear from my cheek. “You could never look like a mess…” he whispered, and I felt my cheeks warm. God, I just wanted to kiss him. That’s too far right…right? He pulled his hand away and I stood, heading into my bedroom. He watched as the door shut, but he glanced down at my phone again before picking it up. He noticed Lewis had left numerous voicemails and had called dozens of times. He unlocked my phone with ease and deleted the voicemails, cleared the recent calls, and immediately blocked his number. Once he was happy with the protection, he set the phone back in my purse. He shimmied out of his jacket and laid it on the arm, and after ten minutes I stepped out of the bedroom. I had pulled my curled hair into my messy bun, sweat pants and a slouchy shirt on now. My face was cleaned, my eyes still slightly red. I slowly walked over to the couch as he watched, but he mumbled, “I blocked his number, and deleted whatever messages he left you.” He kept his eyes on me to gauge my reaction, but I sniffled again and nodded. “Thank you, Seven.” I took another sip of my tea as we were silent, but I pulled my knees up to my chest, hugging them tightly. He looked around for a moment before he pushed a pillow back onto the arm of the couch. I watched as he leaned back, lifting his leg over me to rest behind me. Without a word, he held his arms out, and I blushed. “You’re okay with me laying on you? I won’t squish you?” He shook his head, but he whispered, “You won’t squish me. If anything I’ll fall asleep and roll over on you.” For a moment I laughed, and he smiled. I merely leaned in, resting myself against his body as my hand rested on his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, I could feel his chest rise with his breathing, and in the moment I wanted to cry for an entirely different reason. His hand rested on my back but he only muttered, “Just close your eyes, and forget about everything okay?” I nodded, and I closed my eyes. The smell of his shirt and the melody of his heartbeat lulled me down from the terror I was in, and I found myself slowly falling asleep.


	6. Falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mention of physical abuse towards the end of the chapter.

I awoke the next morning, and immediately I noticed the soft breathing of a sleeping Saeyoung under me. My face reddened as I remembered last night. How he pulled me into his arms, the feeling of his fingers tracing patterns on my arms, and how I drifted off with ease on his chest. I twisted my head a bit to read the clock on the wall and saw it was a bit past eight. I sighed and wiggled a bit to snuggle closer to him, but his hand pulled away to his face. I looked up to see him rub his eyes, but he groaned, “Good morning.” I smiled and before I could respond he wrapped his arms around me. My mind blanked and he then threw his dangling leg over my lower half. He now had me cocooned against his body as he rolled slightly into the back of the couch. I started to laugh as I wiggled against his hold but I breathed, “Seven stop!”  
“Noooo I’m comfortable.” I giggled as he pressed his nose into my hair and continued to compress his body against me. I wiggled a bit more but asserted, “Don’t make me tickle you!” He stopped moving but I heard him whisper, “I would like to see you try.” Before I could stop him he wrapped one arm around both of mine, locking them down as his free hand grabbed my waist. My body jerked as he squeezed but I wheezed, “No stop!” I continued to giggle but soon I heard a phone ring from the side table. I didn’t recognize it as mine, but he gave my side a final squeeze before he released me from his hold and threw his arm back to grab the phone. He looked at the screen for a moment before he pressed a button and said quickly, “You have reached the voicemail of the Defender of Justice…” I crinkled my nose and as he threw his head back and groaned. “Madam please…what if I promise to bring you breakfast can I have a break? A donut perhaps?” I took this opportunity as I nestled myself into his side. He thought nothing of it until he yelped and jerked off the couch, and I merely lay there with a grin. He gaped at me but he muttered, “Did you bite me?” I grinned and only nodded, but he said quickly into the phone, “I’ll be home soon.” He hung up and tossed it on the couch as he continued the tickle onslaught.

I made myself coffee as Seven spun in the chair seated at the bar. He declined coffee, and as I grabbed creamer from the fridge, I called his name. He stopped as he looked at me, and I held out a can of his beloved soda. He gasped and held his hands out like a child, and I merely shook my head as I walked over and set it in front of him. “Bless you,” he spoke, popping the top on it. I stirred in my creamer and set the spoon to the side, but I questioned sadly, “Do you have to leave now?” He shrugged with the can to his lips, but he pulled it away. “I should, but it doesn’t mean I will.” I snickered but he stretched back. “You know, I can’t remember the last time I got a decent sleep…everyone would be so proud of me.”  
“It was all ‘cuz of me right?” I grinned, and his flushed for a moment. He cleared his throat and rushed, “I can neither confirm nor deny that.” It was almost fun now to tease him about liking me. I mean, he teased me as well right? Just a matter of time before we both exploded and just made out with one another. I sighed at the thought but merely took another sip of my coffee. He glanced at his watch but mumbled, “Sadly though I should get going…” I pouted as he looked back at me, but exclaimed, “Don’t give me that look!” Immediately I pushed my lip out further, and whimpered, “If I give you this look will you stay?” He groaned and gave me a stare as a smile crossed my lips. “You’re teasing me aren’t you?” I merely took another sip of my coffee, looking at him from over the rim of the cup.

Seven left for his house and now I was home by myself again. Here I took guest recommendations, chatted with everyone, and even took requests for custom computers. I sat at my desk as I looked over a webpage full of computer cases when a thought hit me. I picked up my phone and quickly entered the chatroom. There I could see Jaehee, Zen, and Yoosung chatting amongst themselves. Perfect. I quickly typed up a message and hit send, biting my lip.

_Hey guys! I have a question for you all._

Soon Zen responded with, _Marlee you don’t have to ask for a selfie. Of course, I would send you one._ Soon a picture of him lounging on the couch popped up into the chat, and as Jaehee sent her usual surprised emoji I merely rolled my eyes with a slight smirk.

[Yoosung] _Zen…why_

[Zen] _I think everyone’s day would be brighter with my selfies._

[Jaehee] _I completely agree. I’m saving it to brighten any grey days I have_

Calm down Jaehee. You guys need to hookup ASAP. I shook my head to dismiss my thoughts, but I typed quickly.

[Marlee] _Zen although I do appreciate your selfies, that wasn’t quite what I had in mind. I have a proposition for you all._

[Yoosung] _Proposition_?

[Marlee] _Yes! How about a party at my house this weekend. I want to get together with everyone. I’m totally down to make some snacks and goodies!_

[Zen] _That sounds awesome! I’ll bring the beer!_

[Jaehee] _I found a nice recipe for rice cake skewers. I’ll bring those._

[Yoosung] _I’m so broke right now. I can’t bring anything._

[Marlee] _Well funny you should mention that. What gaming systems do you have?_

[Yoosung] _Well I have my Gamestation, and then my Zbox…_

[Marlee] _Perfect! Bring whatever games you want, cuz I have both as well :)_

It was now Saturday night and everything was in full swing. I had made cookies and tiny sandwiches, Jaehee brought her skewers, Zen brought his beer, and Yoosung brought his favorite games. Jumin, of course, brought his favorite bottle of wine for the occasion. He seemed almost offended that I said I didn’t like red wine, and at that point, he made it his mission to find a red wine that I would like. One of the games Yoosung brought was Rock Hero, and so the majority of the night was Zen, Yoosung, and myself performing as a band to various songs. We even convinced Jaehee to sing, and we were all shocked to hear her sing so well. I took a moment as everyone partied to send Seven a message. I had invited him as well, but he complained that the amount of work he had would probably keep him home all weekend. I swiped across the screen as I said, _We miss you!_ I hit send and waited for a minute or two before he responded.

_Are you sure everyone misses me or just you?_

Okay, so he had a point. His presence was missed by everyone, but I missed him immensely. I only smiled as I composed another message, and then hit send.

_Well, Elly is here and she misses you._

He responded quickly with a, _:O Don’t play with my emotions! My sweet Elly is there? <3  
_So it was a slight lie, but I rolled my eyes and giggled.  
  


_She isn’t, sorry, but it was cute to see you get excited._  
  
_Me? Cute? :D Ma’am I’m blushing._

Slowly everyone started to file out and I found myself putting away food and throwing away cups. The warm fuzzy feeling of alcohol was taking over my body and suddenly I felt too lazy to continue cleaning. I set the trash bag to the side before I walked towards my room to change. As I pulled my hair from my messy updo, I heard a knock at the door. I peeked out and stepped to the door, but hesitated. Did someone forget something? “Who is it?”

“The party machine is here!” Giggling, I opened the door. My face immediately wiped clean of emotion as I saw Seven standing there. He wore blue jeans, but now he wore a button-down black shirt. I caught myself staring before he perked an eyebrow and peeked around me. “It seems everyone left already…” I stuttered for a moment but nodded simply. As I stood there he smirked. “Am I allowed to come in, or are you going to stare at me all day? I mean I suppose I don’t mind.” My brain was in a fog but I quickly shook it away and stepped to the side as he walked in. As I shut the door, he glanced around. “How was it?” he questioned, and I stood with my back pressed against the door. Fuck…the barrier in my brain that stopped stupid comments was weakened by the alcohol, and all I could think about was how hot he was dressed up. What’s that? It’s the sound of me ripping my panties off and throwing them across the room… _shut up_ Marlee. He glanced back at me to question my silence, but I nodded quickly. “Yeah, it was fun. Yoosung brought some games, and Jumin brought some rich people wine…” He snorted as I walked past him back into the kitchen. “I have snacks leftover if you want some…” He walked to the kitchen and leaned his hip against the counter. I mindlessly wandered around the kitchen, but I stopped as he was quiet. I glanced around but I muttered, “What?”  
“Come dance with me,” he said, smiling as he held his hand out. My heart was slowly working itself into my throat, but I stammered, “There’s no music…” He pulled his phone from his back pocket and waved it, and I agreed shyly. We stepped to the living room as he was busy looking for a song, and as he found one he hit play and set it on the coffee table. Soon the melody of guitar strings filled the room and he turned to look at me. I approached him slowly as he took my hands in his and pulled me gently into his body. At this distance, I could smell his cologne, and I was suddenly wary of the smell of alcohol on my breath. My hands rested on his shoulders as we started to sway, but I whispered, “I’m sorry if I smell like alcohol…”  
“Just don’t throw up on me.” I snorted, but I stayed quiet as his hands held my waist.

_You’re my world, the shelter from the rain_

_You’re the pills that take away my pain_

Oh god, this song. Not this song. I felt my eyes water, and to keep him from noticing I looked down at our feet stepping side to side. We were quiet as we swayed to the song, but he whispered, “I’m sorry I couldn’t come until now.” I glanced up at him and smiled. “You’re here now, so I’m happy.” He smiled back at me and we were silent again, continuing to dance.

_You’re the shore when I am lost at sea_

_You’re the only thing I like about me_

I took this moment as I studied his shirt, but I whispered, “You look nice…” I looked up to see him smiling but I flustered for a moment, rushing, “I mean you look nice all the time! Not that I’m saying you’re hot…I mean, you’re pretty attractive yeah. You just look nice in your shirt. I’m sure you look nice out of your shirt…Oh god.” My face was beet red now as I bit down on my lip, and I could feel myself sweating. His laugh reached my ears as he quipped, “You’re quite honest on alcohol.” I nodded simply, staring down at our shoes again. I’m so dumb. As the song started to reach the end, I had noticed we had closed whatever distance was between us, dancing closer now. Our bodies were touching gently as his hands had slowly made their way to my hips. I found myself resting my head on his chest now, but as the song found its way to the endnotes I looked up into his amber eyes watching mine. “Thank you for dancing with me…” He gave an agreeing hum as one hand left my hip and rose, pushing my hair back from my shoulder. My skin felt flushed but he leaned in and placed his lips against my cheek. In that moment time seemed to stall, and all I could focus on was the feeling of his lips against my skin. He hesitated as he pulled away slowly, now our gazed mere inches apart. The last notes of the guitar faded and his hand slid past my jaw and to the nape of my neck, and he pulled me into his face. His lips pressed against mine and I felt my knees buckle slightly, but his hand was firm against my hips as he pressed me tighter against his body to hold me. His lips moved against mine as he was tender in the touch, and my hands absentmindedly trailed down his chest. It was short and sweet as he slowly broke away, his forehead resting against mine. I felt almost lightheaded but I whispered, “Seven…”  
“I hope that was okay…” A bashful smile crept across my lips as I nodded, but suddenly his phone vibrated on the table. His hands begrudgingly left my skin, and I said as he picked it up, “If it’s Vanderwood tell him we’re busy.” He chuckled but pressed a button. “Hello?” He was silent for a moment as his hand rested on his hip, but he gave a hum as I heard talking over the phone. After only a few seconds he said quickly, “I’ll be there soon.” He hung up quickly and looked back at me to see my desperate face. He reached in and gave my lips another peck before he said quietly, “I have to go do something for the agency…”  
“Something dangerous?” I questioned, and he hesitantly nodded. I swallowed, knowing that I couldn’t stop him but I leaned up and took his face, kissing him again. I was drunk off his kisses, and he merely wrapped his arms around me and kissed me back. I pulled away and whispered, “I quite like your kisses, so you need to come back safe. I need to kiss you again.” He grinned and nodded, but only kissed my nose and whispered, “I promise 606.”

I awoke the next morning, slightly dazed from the alcohol intake but otherwise in a good mood. Remembering the kiss I shared with Seven last night, I snuggled closer to my pillow with a smile. It felt like everything was falling into place. Everything felt natural and easy. I had a group of people who were eager to be my friends, a man who I assumed loved me, and a dark past that I was slowly losing sight of in the rearview mirror. My life was good right now, and at this moment I just wanted to lay in bed and daydream about his lips, but a buzz from my side table disturbed my thoughts. I reached over to grab my phone, and I saw a message from my sister.

 _Hey, lazybones. Lunch today?_  
I merely smiled at her jest, but I responded quickly, _Sure! Let me know where and I’ll be there._

Lexie and I sat together at a small restaurant, waiting patiently on our food. She was silent for the most part, but at certain times I could catch her eyes on me. After our food arrived she immediately leaned on the table and asked, “Okay did you get lucky last night or something?” My eyes widened as her directness and I felt water in my nose as I snorted. “Oh my god Lexie,” I breathed, wiping my face. She furrowed her brow as she waited for me to respond, but I said quickly, “No I didn’t get any last night.”  
“Then what gives. You have a glow about you…and you seem rather chipper.” My face felt warm as I idly pressed my hand to my cheek, but I took a sip of water and said coyly, “I may not have gotten sex, but I did get a very nice kiss last night.”  
“Oh my GOD!” She slapped the table and a few people glared our way. I glanced around apologetically before she fired off questions, “Was it that hot guy I saw you with yesterday? He was _fine_ but man you moved in quick…I thought you said he was a frie-”

“Lexie!” I laughed, and she fell back a little. I picked up my fork and twirled it around the pasta for a bit before I said, “It’s someone else.”  
She gaped at me as I took a bite of my food, but she hissed, “Who is it?”  
“Just a guy that I finally met in person…he and I had been talking for a while now.” She launched into another set of questions until I finally wavered and pulled out my phone, showing her a picture of Seven. She stared at it for a while before she said, “Damn, where are you finding these men because I can’t find anyone that looks like that.” I merely giggled and tucked my phone back into my purse.

She and I continued to talk about Seven, the other friends I met, as well as how our lives were progressing. After leaving the restaurant I strolled around for a bit as I looked over the department stores and signs outside on the sidewalk. I finally convinced myself to return home, and when I pulled into the driveway I noticed a box sitting on the porch. Odd, I didn’t order anything. I quickly made my way up the steps and stooped down to pick up the box. It felt rather heavy for such a small item, and I quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside my house. As I shut the door, I turned to the couch and the box immediately fell from my hands as a fist collided with my face. I stumbled back against the wall as a fist hit the wall next to my head. I whimpered as pain radiated through my face, but I winced up to the face of my ex-husband. I watched his face, twisted in rage and disgust. “You whore…have you been cheating on me?” I shook my head quickly and he punched the wall again. “Liar!” My body was shaking as his jaw was clenched tightly. “You belong to me. Do you understand?” I nodded quickly and his hand went behind my head, grabbing a handful of hair and spinning me around as he rammed my face into the wall. Suddenly everything went black and I went limp as he let me fall to the floor. “Stupid bitch…” he spat, and he stepped around my body and walked out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song they were listening to was Tangled Up In You - Staind.


	7. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end of the last chapter, the main character was physically abused. In the beginning, her injuries are described.

_I'd lost myself in the abyss of someone else's tyranny...again – Cassandra Giovanni_

Seven pulled into my driveway, and he shut his door quickly to jog up to the front porch. He his knuckles rapped against the cool surface before he stood with his hands in his pockets. After a minute or two, he glanced back to see my car parked next to his. He furrowed his brows but pulled his phone from his back pocket. He dialed my number and waited as it rang, but it clicked and I whispered, “Hello?” He hesitated to hear the tone in my voice, and as he was quiet he heard me sniffle. “Marlee?”  
“Seven…I need you…” As the sentence died on my lips a sob escaped my throat. He grabbed the doorknob to feel it locked, but I panicked. “Is that you?” His breathing hitched as he murmured, “Yes Marlee, it’s me…let me-” The door unlocked and I snatched the door back, and he stared at me in horror. My right eye was blackened and there was dried blood around my nose. He was frozen for a moment before I lunged towards him, throwing my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around me tightly as I sobbed against his chest. “Marlee, what-”

“He found me…he was here waiting for me…” I choked against my tears as my fingers gripped the fabric of his hoodie. His arms left my waist as he leaned down and picked me up into his arms, walking in and shutting the door. From there he walked over to the kitchen and sat me at the bar. He immediately went to wet a washcloth but before he started to clean me up he whispered, “Did you take pictures?” I nodded slowly and he proceeded to gingerly clean my face, wiping the blood from my face. His fingers grazed down my nose but he mumbled, “I don’t think it’s broken.” My eyes trailed down to the floor as he continued to gently clean around my nose. He set the cloth to the side and his hands lifted my head slowly, gauging the look of my eye. My eyes met his and for a moment he flinched. “I’m so sorry…I should have taken more precaution with him…” His hands left my skin and I shook my head quickly. “Seven no…this isn’t your fault.” I noticed his eyes were full of doubt and pain, and I reached out my arms to him. He took me in another embrace before I mumbled against his shirt, “This is his fault…”

“Oi, Luciel where have you be-” Vanderwood’s voice died as he saw me walk in behind Seven, and although I kept my face down he could see the darkened skin around my eye. Bruises were now visible on my neck and wrists. He was silent as Seven gave him a knowing look, but he shut the door as I stepped in completely. He walked past Vanderwood and I followed silently to his room. There he pushed the door open with his foot as he carried in bags for me. He set my bags next to the wall but shut the door behind us. We were silent as he idly rubbed his head, but he muttered, “You can sleep on my bed, I can take the couch.” I sat on the side of his bed, and in a moment of seriousness, I said, “I don’t mind sharing the bed. I trust you not to do anything…” He glanced at me as he idly pushed his desk chair in, but he leaned lightly against the back. He seemed conflicted with the idea, but I quickly added, “I mean, if you don’t want to that’s okay…but I don’t want to kick you out of your bed.” He gave a halfhearted smile as he looked down, but he glanced back up at me. “I don’t mind if it's you kicking me out of the bed.”

The next day I woke up bright and early, and I peeked up to see I was the only one in the bedroom. The door was shut as I shuffled under the covers, laying now on my back. I stared up at the ceiling, noting the little glow in the dark stars dotted around the room. I smiled slightly, but soon I felt a pressure in my abdomen and I pushed myself from the warm covers to make my way to the bathroom. I pushed the door open and cut the light on, and the sight of Seven’s bathroom came to view. It was fairly basic in décor as well as the utilities such as the sink and toilet. I quickly shut the door and made my way to the toilet, pulling my pants down to do my business. I found myself staring around the room, suppressing a giggle seeing a pair of sweatpants and boxers shoved to the side. There was a single bottle of soap next to the sink, along with a razor and a glass of cologne. Part of me was intrigued as I wanted to lift it and smell, but I figured it would be best to not touch anything in the moment. I finished up and washed my hands, and stepped back into the bedroom. I quickly brushed my hair out and put on some deodorant before grabbing my phone and stepping to the door, cracking it open. The light above the kitchen was on and Seven sat at the rectangular dining room table, headphones on his head. His laptop sat in front of him, but I watched as he threw his hands in the air, wiggling in the chair. I made a face but I heard his voice sing lyrics in a high pitch tone. I giggled as he performed his dance moves at the chair, and as his fingers hit the keyboard to type something out, his shoulders bounced along with his head as he continued with his song.

I pulled the door shut softly and merely leaned against it, watching him dance still. I bit my lip to stop the grin, but it fell as he pushed his chair back and grabbed the soda can next to his laptop, and as he turned he froze in his tracks. His face was blank but I grinned and wiggled, joking, “You gonna teach me those sweet moves later right?”  
“I feel like your mocking my talent, and I don’t appreciate it.” He stepped to the recycling and tossed the can in, but he walked back to his laptop. “We have a little coffee here if you want some.” I shrugged as he plopped back down in the chair, and I sat in the seat next to his. I was silent as he pushed his sleeves up, but glanced over to me. My eyes were studying him, and he perked an eyebrow. “Yes, dear?”  
“When did you go to sleep?”  
“Uhh…”  
I rolled my eyes but plopped my phone on the table, leaning back in the chair. “So you’ve been on your laptop all night.”  
“Nooo…I did take a pee break…” I would be shocked if he didn’t take the laptop with him into the bathroom, but I merely shook my head. My eyes watched the strings of codes on his screen, intrigued by what he was doing. His fingers darted across the keyboard, as he kept his eyes on the screen. With my hobby of building computers, I had a thing for guys who knew the difference between a hard drive and SSD*, so Seven fit in that category perfectly. After a few seconds of silence, I whispered, “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing now?” He was quiet, his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth as he focused on his work, but after a moment, he spoke. “Hacking an electronic billboard in New York to play Nyan Cat on a loop.” At first, I scoffed, but I perked as he hit enter and grinned. He picked up the remote from next to the laptop and cut on the TV in the living room. The picture focused on the morning news, and behind the anchors sat a large glittering screen. I leaned forward with wide eyes, and as the anchors covered a fluff story about two lovers, the screen behind them blanked and suddenly a cat appeared behind them, flying in the sky with a rainbow pattern behind it. I snorted as Seven punched air, but as the anchors seemed a bit taken aback before the camera cut to footage, he crossed his arms and grinned. “Very impressive sir.”

Seven stretched back in his chair before I glanced down at my phone. It was now I was finally noticing the missed messages and calls. “Oh, …everyone has left me messages." Seven glanced over but as he started doing something else he muttered, “I don’t think you’ve talked to them since yesterday afternoon…”  
 _Right…_ I held my breath as I scrolled through the missed messages and calls, but after a moment my eyes glassed over as I dazed out. What do I tell them? I idly felt my face, the skin around my eye and nose still tender and inflamed. After a moment, Seven’s typing stopped as he looked over at me from the corner of his eye. “How much do they know? Up till now I mean.”  
“They know you’re divorced. That’s all.” I nodded slowly before I pushed down a knot in my chest and entered the already busy chat room.  
  
[Marlee] _Hey guys I’m sorry! I’m here! ^^  
_ [Yoosung] _Marlee! There you are! We were so worried about you.  
_ [Jaehee] _Zen and Yoosung would not stop making threats to find your address and check on you._

My eyebrow perked for a moment, but as Seven read through the chat room with me he chuckled. “Like I would just hand over that information willingly.” A smile slipped past my lips before it faded and I responded.

[Marlee] _Guys thank you for being so caring <3 I’m fine now. There was a slight issue last night, but I’m okay right now.  
_[Yoosung] _What? What happened??  
_ [Zen] _Who’s ass do I need to beat?_

I flinched at the mention of a beating, but Seven busily swiped on his phone. I glanced over as he stopped, but then I looked back at my phone to see his response.

[707] _Zen it’s taken care of. No need for that.  
_ [Zen] _Seven? You know what happened?_  
  
Seven groaned, and I watched as he let his phone drop to the table and he put his face in his hands. I giggled, but his head poked up. “I guess I should have expected him to demand answers from me if he knew I was involved.” I shrugged but busily typed a response.

[Marlee] _Everyone, what I’m about to tell you stays in this chat room._

I waited patiently as everyone agreed, and I swallowed. Seven scooted closer to me, the chairs pushed next to each other as his shoulder grazed mine. “You got this,” he whispered, and I felt my fingers shake slightly. I exhaled slowly in an attempt to calm myself, but suddenly his hand reached over and grabbed mine. I felt warmth radiate off my face but I whispered, “You’re distracting.”  
“Ooh really?” he chirped, somewhat proud of himself. I rolled my eyes but my gaze returned to the screen. He squeezed my hand gently, but he whispered, “If you want to tell them, I’ll be here. And if not, I’ll be here.” I nodded quickly and looked back at my phone.  
  
[Marlee] _Well I guess Seven told you guys I was divorced. But he left a few parts out. Yes, I got divorced a few months ago from my husband, but what you all don’t know is that it was an abusive relationship._

I took a breath as I hit send, typing another message.

[Marlee] _He was verbally and physically abusive towards me. I’ve been in and out of the hospital too many times to count. Our divorce was finalized five months ago, and I have a restraining order against him. But last night he found my new address and he was waiting for me in my house. He attacked me._

I felt my hands shake but Seven was quick to move the phone to the table and grasp my hand. “You’re okay now…” he whispered, and I nodded quickly. I took a shaky breath as I saw replies come instantly in the chat room. I swallowed as I felt my eyes water, but my voice cracked, “What if he finds me ag-”

“He won’t.” I looked up at him as he laced his fingers with mine, and I forced a nod. I reached down with my free hand as I started to read the flood of comments.

[Zen] _Oh my god Marlee! We had no idea. We need to find this guy!  
_ [Yoosung] _Marlee are you okay? Where are you now?_  
[Jaehee] _I’m assuming she’s at the hospital now. Marlee you’re injuries aren’t serious, are they?_  
[Marlee] _I’m okay. Seven rescued me last night. I’m with him now._  
  
With that, I leaned into his shoulder, and I whispered, “I can stay here right?” He snorted as he shut his laptop finally, but one finger poked my side. I wiggled but he joked, “Even if I did say no, you have four other people who would gladly let you stay with them.” I looked up at him as he gave a smile. “But yes you can stay here.”

To set the mood for the morning, I decided to get a shower. Before I even walked in the bathroom, I questioned Seven.  
 _There's no cameras in the bathroom right?  
_ _No, but if you want me to-  
_ _No, I’m good._  
I stood in the shower, hot water washing over my body. It was almost cleansing, even without soap. I gingerly washed my face, careful not to irritate it any more than it’s current state. I quickly grabbed my soaps from my overnight bag before washing and scrubbing myself clean. It was a quick shower, and after about ten minutes I was standing outside of the shower drying myself off. I set the towel on the counter and dressed myself, finally making my way out into the living room. Seven still sat at the dining room table, now with Vanderwood hovering over him inspecting his screen. I decided not to disturb them and merely plopped down on the couch, pulling out my phone. I lazily glanced through the screen before I heard a grunt from the dining room table. I glanced over to see Vanderwood sigh, but he said lowly, “Do we know where he’s moving?”  
“We have a suspicion, but nothing concrete,” Seven mumbled, and I quickly looked back at my phone. I kept my eyes on the screen as the two men continued to look over the laptop screen. After a few more minutes Seven shut it quickly and unplugged it, wrapping up the cord. “If we leave soon we can follow the possible trail,” Vanderwood said as he walked into another room, and Seven only hummed in agreement. I watched as he walked into his room for a moment, and reappeared with his jacket and a laptop bag, slinging it on his shoulder. “You leaving now?” He gave a stiff nod as Vanderwood walked out from the room, a large duffel bag over his shoulder. Seven sat next to me on the couch, but he said quickly, “If you need to go out, I’m sure Saeran can go with you, but I don’t want you going out by yourself.” I nodded, but he ruffled his hair. It was like he was debating his next words, but Vanderwood stepped through the front door. “Luciel I’ll be waiting.” The front door shut and he only sighed. I crossed my legs on the couch but I muttered, “I wish you didn’t have to go…” He gave a small smile, and his hand came up to cup my cheek. “I won’t be gone long, I promise.” I gave a little nod, and he hesitated as he stared into my face. I pursed my lips as I wondered what he was thinking, but his mouth pressed into a thin line as he muttered, “I’ll be back.” I nodded and he almost jerked away, in an attempt to quickly leave. I was somewhat baffled at this as he stepped out of the front door as well, and as it shut I was left in the now empty living room with my phone in my lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hard Drive and SSD are two types of storage devices for computers. Hard drive is older and was used primarily before Solid State Drives (SSD) came onto the market.


	8. Video Card

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking a while with this chapter. I hit a bit of writers block, and I was thinking the relationship between Marlee and Seven might be progressing a bit too fast for the story. Any comments or suggestions on how the story is flowing so far are much appreciated

With Seven and Vanderwood gone and Saeran in his room I assumed, I tried to busy myself around the bunker. I straightened up the living room, cleaning up empty cans and chip bags. I wiped the countertops down and washed what dishes were in the sink. I leaned against the counter as I inspected the area, and as I was finally satisfied with the appearance I stepped over to the fridge to glance through it. I can’t say I was surprised at how bare it was, but I was still taken aback at the inventory. “I swear,” I sighed, glancing through the shelves. A pack of soda sat at the bottom, with a milk carton in the door. A pack of eggs sat up top, with a stick of butter sitting next to them. I pressed my lips together in a thin line, but I jumped as I heard a door open. I shut the fridge to see Saeran step out, and with one glance over the room he looked towards me. “I’m assuming my brother left for something.” I gave a nod as he sighed, and he was about to turn to head back into his room, but I interjected, “Saeran?” He stopped and turned, his eyes curious as to what I wanted. I stood wringing my hands together before I muttered, “Can you take me grocery shopping?”  
“You can’t go yourself?” I could sense the slight annoyance in his voice but I looked at the floor shyly. “Well, Seven didn’t want me to go out alone…he said you could take me.” He growled slightly, turning and heading back into his room. I immediately became dejected, looking to the side to find something else to do before he stepped back out in a hoodie. “Come on, there’s a store not too far from here.”  
The trip to the grocery store was relatively uneventful. We almost got kicked out because there were a few instances I was either approached or someone stood next to me too closely. Sometimes I didn’t even notice anything until I heard Saeran grunt next to me, shouldering his way between me and the stranger. This led to a bit of anger on both sides, and I had to push him away before he threw a punch. Now we were home and I busily put away groceries. “Thank you Saeran for going with me. I won’t bug you anymore.” I shut the pantry doors and I turned to see him giving me a look. “It wasn’t too bad…” I gave a little smile, but before he reached his room I looked down the hallway and said happily, “I’ll be making some homemade ice cream later if you want some.” He froze and was silent before he merely nodded and entered his room, shutting the door.  
I made dinner for both of us, the promised homemade ice cream sitting in the freezer. A large bowl of rice sat on the table next to kimchi and sautéed veggies and chicken. I sat across from Saeran as we ate in silence, and as we finished I took the plates and cleared the table. “Is the ice cream done?” he questioned, and I was amused at how eager he was. I set everything in the dishwasher, but opened up the freezer and pulled the container out. “Let’s check…it should be…” He kept his gaze on the container, almost intrigued by the process. I pulled out a bowl and spoon and dug the spoon into the firm mix. “Yep!” I smiled, scooping some into a bowl for him. I handed it to him and he took it happily, digging in. I was amused at his childlike happiness of having a simple bowl of ice cream. We sat in silence again, the only sound of our spoons digging around the bowls. After a few minutes, Saeran grunted as he stood, setting his bowl in the sink. “Thank you, Marlee,” he mumbled, giving me a look. I smiled and nodded, and with that, he made his way back to his room. As the door shut, I glanced down at my bowl again. Now I was alone with just my thoughts, and that coupled with the absence of Seven made me almost antsy. I finished my bowl and cleaned everything up, setting the leftovers in the fridge. I stepped into Seven’s room, and as I shut the door my phone vibrated in my back pocket. The speed in which I pulled it out was almost embarrassing. The text read _Saeyoung_ and I swiped to open it. _Marlee, you doing okay?_ I couldn’t help but smile, but I quickly responded, _Yes I’m okay. I made dinner and ice cream for myself and Saeran._ I hit send as I flopped onto his bed, and within a minute he responded. _Ice cream!? I don’t get any?_ I giggled and but soon another text came over. _Can I call you?_ My heart sped up at this thought but I immediately pressed the call button next to his name. I hesitated as I heard it ring once, but I pressed it to my ear and I heard a click. A nasal voice came over the phone, speaking, “You have reached 1-800-Hire A Hacker, where you can hire your very own personal hacker for all your hacking needs!” I giggled as he paused, but then continued with his shtick. “Please say your hacker needs into the phone.”  
“Well, I suppose I don’t need a hacker right now…I do need someone to cuddle with.” I heard a somewhat of a mix between a moan and a sigh and a rustle. I waited as all I heard was quiet footsteps, but a door shut and he whispered quickly, “I almost dropped my phone in front of Vanderwood…” I snorted as I heard a shuffle on his end, but he questioned, “So everything is going okay?” I nodded as my fingers idly picked at his bed. “I made dinner for Saeran and myself, and I also made us ice cream.” I heard a hum over the phone as he imagined everything, but as I nestled in the sheets he whispered, “Did he go with you to the grocery store?”  
“Yes, and he took his job very seriously.” There was a slight chuckle on his end, and I added, “Which I’m assuming you knew that.” He feigned a gasp. “Ma’am I’m offended you would think such a thing.” I smiled but I heard a muffled voice from his end, and Seven’s voice gives a soft, “Got it.” A door shut and I heard him sigh, but I questioned, “You have to leave?” He gave a hum to affirm my question, but he added, “I have to go now, but we’ll be back tomorrow okay?” I hummed as we were both quiet, but I questioned, “Saeyoung?”  
“Hmm?”  
“Thank you…for taking me in.” There was a noise somewhat familiar to a grunt, but he rushed, “Hey now none of that. I was more than happy to help you out.” I smiled and nodded, but he quickly added, “I’ve gotta go…I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”  
“Okay…Be safe okay.” He gave a little chuckle but said, “Will do. Sleep well.” With that, he hung up and I was left alone in his bed again.  
The next day I was excited to have Seven home again, but his time of arrival was still up in the air. I lazily lounged around the living room with the TV on, and a little before noon Saeran’s door opened. I glanced up but my eyes widened slightly at his appearance. Dark circles were more pronounced and his eyes were bloodshot. My gaze jerked back to my phone so he wouldn’t notice, but he growled, “Stop staring.”  
“I wasn’t-”  
“I saw you.”  
My face flushed with embarrassment as he opened up the fridge, but I questioned meekly, “Do you want me to make you lunch?”  
He slammed the door and glared at me, and I flinched under his gaze. “I’m not a child.” I nodded and looked back at my phone without another word, but after he meandered around the kitchen for a bit, he plopped down on the other side of the couch. I pushed the remote towards him and he snatched it off the cushion, furiously flipping through channels. I curled myself up on the opposite side as we were quiet, but he sighed and tossed the remote back to the middle, running his hands down his face. He grumbled as he glanced to the side, but muttered something. I looked up, unsure of what he said, but he shot a glare at me. “I’m sorry, okay?” I nodded quickly, but his gaze softened for a bit. “Some days feel easier than others, but most of the time I still get nightmares…” My posture slacked a little bit, feeling suddenly empathetic. He crossed his arms across his chest as he slouched back against the cushion, but I whispered, “I have nightmares too.” He glanced to the side as I turned my eyes back to the TV. I was silent for a moment, rethinking the last time I had a night terror, but I added, “Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat…other times I’m screaming in my dream and when I wake up…I’m hoarse.” His own eyes softened at the mention of this, but I merely shook my head to dismiss the images. There was silence now except for the drone of the TV, but he questioned, “How do you get over it? Does it get better?”  
“Slowly. Some nights are better than others. Some nights I lay awake with a busy mind, and that usually causes the nightmares.” Now I sat cross-legged on the couch, my phone in my lap. Soon the space between us was comfortable, and we started to talk about other things to take our minds off the nightmares.  
  
The front door opened and I looked up from my phone to see Vanderwood stroll in, followed by Seven. Our eyes met and my face perked in a smile, but his eyes trailed down the couch. My legs were pulled up to my chest at an angle, and a pillow rested on my thigh. Saeran lay still, breathing deeply as my fingers raked through his hair. He set the bags down quietly and walked over to me. “Nightmares?” he questioned, and I nodded. I smoothed out his locks and glanced up to see Seven pull his hoodie off and lay it over Saeran. He fidgeted a bit before settling back into his deep sleep. I smiled up at Seven but he sighed and plopped down in the lounge chair next to the couch. He was silent as he slumped back, but I whispered, “I’m assuming I shouldn’t ask for details, but hopefully it went well?” He nodded as he pushed his glasses up, rubbing his eyes. “For the most part. There were one or two hiccups, but we completed what we needed to.” I swallowed as he removed his fingers and rested his hands twined behind his head. I watched as Vanderwood stepped into the spare bedroom. I flicked my eyes back to Seven but I whispered, “Is the agency still has bad as you made it out to be?” One eye fluttered open to see my concerned face, and he merely grunted as he sat up. He rested forward with his arms on his thighs, but he whispered, “I’m bargaining my time. Vanderwood wants out as well, but there’s a lot of work to be done if we want to get out.” His gaze softened for a bit as both eyes opened now, and he continued, “Besides, there’s a lot of collateral for both of us. We have to make sure everyone is safe.” I nodded slowly as I looked back down at Saeran, but Vanderwood walked out and shut the door. He sighed as he twitched his neck to the side, and he only mumbled, “Luciel, your cars are nice and all, but they’re terrible for sleeping.” Seven merely grinned and happily chirped, “All the more reason for you not to be in them.”  
It was evening time and fortunately, there was a bit of downtime for Seven. I sat on his bed with a notebook out again as he sat at his computer, a headset on as he clicked furiously at a video game. There was silence for a moment as I wrote on the paper but I jumped as I heard his growl and he shouted, “Yoosung you’re not a tank! Get your ass back here!” I craned my head to see a video game running on one monitor, the other playing music in the background. I snorted as he berated Yoosung for his playing tactics, but he groaned and pushed the headset off his head, ruffling his hair. “Is Yoosung being a noob?” I questioned, writing a quick note on the paper. I heard his chuckle and a faint yell was heard over the headphones. Oh, he heard me, whoops. Seven turned the chair to look at me, but questioned, “Do you play any?” I shrugged and glanced up from the paper. “If family simulation games count, then sure.”  
“You have a beast of a computer, and that’s all you play?”  
“They take a lot of RAM…” He rolled his eyes with a smile, and he was about to turn back around to the monitor, but I squeaked, “Seven?” He perked an eyebrow back at me as I bit my lip, but I set the pen down in the notebook and shut it. “Do you think…you can take me to my house to get a few things? I’m not sure how long I’ll be here but I didn’t bring a lot.” He perked at the idea to escort me somewhere, but he nodded as he pulled the headset back on. “Yoosungie, can you handle without me?” I snorted at the nickname, but he clicked out of the game and set his headphones on the keyboard. With a quick shortcut, he locked his computer and stood. He stretched back for a moment before he stepped over to his bed. “Alright, ma’am. Let’s go get you some stuff.”  
We stepped into my quiet house, the entire room dark. Seven walked in first, scoping out the area. As I slowly walked in behind him, I shut the door as he peeked into each room. “Alright. We’re clear. Do you want me to get your panties?” I gave his shoulder a light punch as he gave a cheeky smile, but I said quickly, “Can you pack up my laptop? I’ll get my clothes.” He nodded and bounced off to the computer room as I walked into the bedroom. I quickly pulled out a suitcase as I packed it full of pajamas, underwear, and clothes. I started to move into the bathroom but Seven walked into the bedroom with my laptop bag strap on his shoulder, a cardboard package in his hand. “You never opened this?” I turned with a questioning look as I noticed the box, and my mouth popped open. “Oh right…” Memories flashed in my mind as I remembered the box falling to the floor as I gained a punch to the face, but I mumbled as I approached him, “Lewis showed up before I could look at it.” His face was solemn as he nodded but I took it from his hands and set it on the bed, opening it up. He stood behind me as he watched, and his face broke out into a smile as my hands slowed. “It’s…”  
“It’s the video card you wanted. I figured you deserved a gift.” I shakily pulled the black and red box from the package as I stared at it, but I spun around to face him. “Seven…you bought this for me?” He shrugged with his hands in his pockets, but he said happily, “You seemed to really want it, and I wanted to get you something…” My mouth was still gaped open as I looked back at the box, but I set it gingerly on the bed. He made a face but he grunted as I threw myself at him, arms wrapped around his neck. “Oh, Seven thank you! This is amazing…” He gave a one-armed hug back as he rubbed my back, but as I turned to pick up the box again he added casually, “We can take your desktop with us too if you want. And I can put in the new video card.” Again I spun around, this time my face showing shock. “Oh don’t you dare. I’m gonna put this baby in tonight.”  
We were back at Seven’s bunker with my desktop sitting on the dining room table, the side panel pulled off. Seven sat back in a chair with his phone, occasionally glancing up to watch me. I stood over the desktop with my hair now in a messy bun, screwdriver in hand with my tongue poking out the side of my mouth. It seemed to be a habit of mine when I was focused, but Saeran stepped out and stopped to see the scene. His eyes flicked back and forth between us, and Seven was the only one to acknowledge him. His lips broke into a grin as he whispered, “Amazing isn’t she?” I was oblivious to his compliment as I unscrewed the bindings for my previous video card, and gently I pulled it out from its slot. Saeran stepped over as he glanced into the desktop, and I set the old video card to the side. As I pulled the new video card from it’s wrapping, Saeran asked casually, “Do you have enough battery power for the new card?” Seven snorted as he noticed me roll my eyes, but I mumbled, “Saeran please, I’m not an amateur. I checked before I looked into this new video card.” I carefully slid the new card into its slot and started to place the connections. “Besides, when I put this desktop together, I made sure to leave enough room for upgrades.” With the wires in place, I picked up the screwdriver and slowly started to secure the card in place. Seven set his phone on the table and stood, and now I had both twins over each shoulder. I suddenly became very self-conscious, and I glanced at each side. “Am I this interesting?” I mumbled, and quickly they spoke in unison.  
“No.”  
“Absolutely!” I felt my cheeks red at Seven’s enthusiasm, but I sighed as I tightened the last screw, and reached for the case cover. Seven immediately handed it to me and I slid it into place, and I looked to my side to see he had all the thumbscrews. I took each one and placed them in each slot, tightening them with my fingers. Finally, I took a breath and stepped back, admiring my computer in all her glory. Seven cheered as Saeran merely walked away, but I grinned at him. “Thank you again. I don’t know how to repay you for such a nice gift.” He wiggled his eyebrows and leaned in, placing a light kiss on my cheek. My body heated up as he grabbed the case from the table, and he marched to his room. “Alright, come on. We have to go teach Yoosung how to play his game.”


	9. Doubts

_No matter how hard the past is, you can always begin again ― Jack Kornfield_

Seven had set up my computer in his room next to his. There was just enough room on the wall to settle a small table there, and now we spent our time on our computers. For him, it was between working for the agency and tormenting Yoosung on their online game. Meanwhile, I sat quietly next to him, researching items for computers people had requested, writing little drabbles, and emailing people for the party. This was our normal set up now, and some nights we would sit in silence next to each other. Sometimes I would be so into my work, my chin propped in my palm with my elbow on the table, I would flinch in surprise as Seven tossed a chip onto me. This became a normal thing until one night I leaned back as he did this and it landed in my shirt. With a blank look, I looked down in my cleavage and then to him with his slowly reddening face. He merely looked back at his monitor, mumbling something before I giggled and plucked the chip from my skin, putting it in my mouth.

It had been another week living with here with Seven. My bruises and black eye were now healed. When I first arrived I emailed all of the pictures for my lawyer and explained everything. Now my ex-husband was finally found and locked up in jail, so I could freely roam. Seven voiced concerns still, but at least my main fear was behind bars. I told Seven I could move back out now to my own house, but he seemed adamant that I stay. I wasn’t completely sure of his reasoning, but he deemed it safer to stay with him. 

Living with three men was quite a shock to the system. Once I was taking a shower when I heard the door burst open and Saeran stomp in, cursing. “Saeyoung damn it stop taking my cologne. You have your own for a reason…” I jumped as I tried my best to cover myself, but I pulled the curtain back slightly as I poked my head out. Saeran was rummaging around the top drawer but I only cleared my throat. He turned around and the anger erased immediately from his face. He stuttered for a moment as his face turned bright red and he immediately raced out of the bathroom, slamming the door. Sometimes Seven would walk in and I would do the same, but he glanced back with a simple wave and went back to looking through his drawer. I suppose in his mind if he at least didn’t see me naked he was okay. I thought about flashing him to prove a point, but I wasn’t that brave enough just yet. 

A date was finally set for the party. We were now one week away from the festivities and I was busily securing guests. I was determined to have this be a great party, and I think it was to prove my worth. In somewhat ironic moments, Seven would turn my monitor off. I would glare but the anger would disappear as he pushed my chair straight into the kitchen where he would get me something to eat or drink. Finally, after the third night in a row of this happening, as he pushed me into the kitchen he laughed and said, “Who knew I would find someone as bad as me.” I crossed my arms as he rolled my chair to the table, and he turned to the fridge. “At least I eat actual food…” I mumbled, spinning the chair around. He pulled a plate from the fridge with a pizza sitting on top, and as he pulled the cover off to put it in the microwave he gasped. “Ma’am I get all of my essential vitamins and nutrients from my chips and soda thank you.” I rolled my eyes as he pressed a button on the microwave and the plate started to slowly rotate. I watched as he stared at the microwave, but he turned to me and his face seemed serious. “You know, you don’t have to invite the entire population to the party right?” I shrugged and I glanced down, trying to ignore his gaze. I could see his feet move across the floor as he sighed, but he sat in the chair diagonal from me. “Marlee?” he spoke, and I took a moment to focus on him. His amber eyes were almost worried as he stared at me, but he mumbled, “You don’t have to work yourself like this…” I shrugged and sat in the chair, still spinning. “Do you think that?” He stared at me as suddenly the microwave beeped, and I popped up out of my chair to open the door. As I pulled it open and pulled out the steaming slice of pizza I muttered, “I just want this party to be great…” He continued to watch as I plopped back down in the chair and I started to tear off pieces of pizza. We were silent for a moment as I slowly ate, but I looked up at him as he spoke. “It will though. I think everyone is just excited to have a party again.” I gave an unenthusiastic nod but he reached forward and his hand rested on my knee. “Hey…” I peered up from under my lashes as he gave a worried look, but there was a banging on the front door. Without hesitation he jumped up, his head jerking to the door. I stared at it as there was a banging again, but we heard a muffled yell. “Saeyoung! Stop changing your damn passcode!” He gave a little giggle as he jogged over to the door, but he pressed a button connected to the speaker outside. “Dear brother, Arabic is a beautiful language. If you just learned it-”  
“You have five seconds to open this damned door or I’m driving one of your cars through it.” Seven’s hand was lightning as he grabbed the door and snatched it back, staring at his angry brother. Saeran merely glared as he walked past Seven, and grumpily paced to his room. Seven sighed and shut the front door, but stepped back over to me. I was almost finished with my pizza but I pushed the plate back. “Okay, can I go back to work?” I questioned, starting to scoot my chair back to his room. He immediately used his body to block his doorframe, his hands gripping the armrests of my chair. He leaned in fairly close as I leaned back in the chair, but he grinned and scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder. “Seven!” I gasped, and he carried me into his room where he gave my butt a firm smack and flipped me over onto the bed. “It’s one in the morning. You need to sleep.” I pouted but he stepped out to push my chair back to my desk. He pressed a few buttons on my keyboard and put my computer to sleep. I huffed as he also did the same with his computer, and he pulled his shirt off to reveal a black tank top. I continued to glare at him as he plopped down in bed next to me, but he laid back and sighed contently. “You can work in the morning.” 

But that leaves hours of productivity lost. I sighed in defeat, and I debated voicing my concerns to Seven. Would he think they were stupid? He’s not that type of guy… I ran my hands over my arms idly as if to fight a chill that wasn't there, but I whispered, “Seven?”   
“Hmm?” I glanced back at him as I felt my eyes water. I didn’t want any of this to disappear. After countless months of pain and torture, crying myself to sleep and nursing both physical and mental wounds, I was happy. I opened my mouth but it popped shut as thoughts wrestled in my brain. I looked back forward as I felt a single tear slide down my cheek, and I quickly wiped it. I felt the bed shift next to me as his arm went around my shoulders. “Hey, …what’s wrong?”  
“If the party is a failure-”  
“It won’t be. And if it is, we’ll blame someone else, like Yoosung or Jumin.” I couldn’t help but give a weak laugh as he squeezed my shoulder, but I muttered, “If I don’t do well, you guys won’t…won’t make me leave right?” Before I could react, his other arm came up and wrapped around the front of my body, pushing me back on the bed as he cuddled me. “Crazy, that won’t happen. And if by some weird random chance that you stop being the coordinator, you don’t have to stop being friends with us…I won’t let you.” I giggled as he hugged me, but I turned my face to look at his. “Thank you,” I whispered, and in that moment dimly lit by a small lamp in the corner we stared at each other silence. I shifted so that I lay on my side now, and I brought my hand up as I gave his nose a quick _boop._ He blinked but he muttered, “Don’t you _boop_ me.”  
I only stuck my tongue out at him, but I muttered, “Oh yeah? Whatcha going to do about it?” My finger hovered over his nose as he stared at me, and then looked at my finger. Before I could react he reached it and gave the end of my finger a nibble. I squeaked and snatched away, blushing. “Oi, you bit me!”   
“You liked it.” I snorted, but my cheeks gave away my true feelings. He grinned, but it slowly faded as he shifted on the bed. “Uhh…I’ll be right back.” He jumped off the bed and raced to the bathroom, shutting the door. My body bolted up as my eyes followed, but I called, “What are you doing?”  
“Cold shower!” I covered my mouth as I giggled, and as soon as I heard his response the shower cut on. I only sighed and settled myself in the bed, staring at the ceiling. Now that I was without my phone or computer, my eyelids betrayed me as they started to feel heavy. I grumbled as I rubbed them quickly, but I turned back on my side as I slid my arm under the pillow. “I’ll just wait for him to get out…of the shower…” Within minutes I was out, snuggling the pillow closer to my body. 

Finally, the weekend was here and it was time for the party. Saeran was dressed somewhat formally with dark denim jeans and a black button-up, and now he sat staring at the TV with a bored expression. Seven was wearing a black button-up, complete with a white vest and a red tie around his neck. He straightened the sleeves of his shirt before he stepped to the bathroom door and knocked. “Marlee you seem to be feeding into the stereotype that women take longer to get ready than men.” I rolled my eyes from in the bathroom but I slid earrings in and grabbed the clutch from the countertop. I gave myself another once over, admiring my dress. It was one of my favorites, but of course, I never had somewhere to wear it to. It was a wine-colored red, with a tight fit across the chest and hips. It rested just above the knee and had a modest slit going up the side. My shoulders with exposed with the sleeves resting just below. I adjusted the small necklace hanging daintily around my neck before I walked over to the door and pulled it open. Seven’s smiling face slowly fell as he stared at me, and my smile faltered. I stared in disbelief as I looked back in the mirror, and then to his silent gaze. “Is it too much? I was looking forward to wearing this dress…” He exhaled slowly as his eyes trailed down my body, but he looked back at my face and rushed, “We can’t go.” My brows scrunched up in confusion and he muttered, “If anyone else sees you in that dress, I might get jealous…” A slight blush crept across my face as his cheeks turned red, but he merely turned his head slightly and rubbed the back of his head. Slowly, and mustering whatever courage I had, I reached out with my free hand and took his dangling to the side. He looked at me with a questioning look but I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Then…I suppose I’ll have to stick close to you tonight.” 

After purposely flustering Saeran with my outfit as well, we got into one of Seven’s cars and drove to the venue. Seeing as how Seven admitted his jealousy to others seeing me, I decided to have fun with my current attire. One stoplight we came to, I crossed my legs in the seat, allowing the slit to show off more skin. I let my fingers trail up the open skin, and I idly came up near my face as I pushed my curls to one side. My gaze slowly trailed over to him to see him eyeing me from the corner of his eye. He merely looked back at the road as he cleared his throat, but his free hand reached to his pants as he pulled at them to loosen them a bit. I bit my lip as I fought the gleeful smile on my lips. I assumed he might get back at me later, but at the moment it was worth it. 

We reached the venue and Saeran quickly made his way to the door. I opened my door and stepped out, and as I shut my door Seven neared me and I leaned back against his car. He rested his arm on the top of the car as his other hand was in his pocket. “I do hope you remember that I have quite the sadistic streak…” His voice was cool and calm, and his golden eyes were watching me awaiting my response. I put my best innocent face on as I looked up at him, batting my lashes. “Oh? What does that mean?” His face was almost hungry now and he pulled his hand from his pocket, his finger coming up and trailing down my cheek. I could feel my face burn as he stared into my eyes, but he stepped back as he idly rubbed his chin. “Oh, you’re far too innocent for me…” My expression along with the flush in my chest seemed to satisfy him as he gave a little grin and turned, putting his hands in his pockets as he walked towards the entrance. Oh, dear. I seemed to have started a game that I will not win. I only stood gaping at him but he slowed his stride as he turned to wink. “Well come on coordinator. Can’t be late for a party you put together.” I huffed and merely shuffled across the parking lot as best I could in my heels, and as I matched his pace I linked my arm with his. He merely chuckled and I pouted. We met Jaehee at the door as she gave us both a smile, checking us in. As we walked through the door, Seven leaned in and whispered, “You know better than to tease me.”  
“Oh, I do. And I chose to do it anyway.” He perked an eyebrow at me but we were immediately greeted by the others. Yoosung ran to greet me, but he seemed a bit awkward now that I stood a few inches above him. He pulled away from the hug as he tried not to face my chest, but he mumbled, “This isn’t fair.”   
“Oh Yoosungie I have heels you could have borrowed,” Seven chided and he merely crossed his arms, grumbling. Zen now came in for a hug, but he said quietly, “Marlee you look stunning in that dress. And that color looks amazing with your complexion.” I idly tucked a piece of hair behind my ear as I smiled, but Jumin moved in as he took my hand and gave it a little kiss. Oh, he’s being bold. I wasn’t sure his intentions, but then I noticed Zen’s face crease in annoyance. “Marlee, the guest list is almost bursting at the seams. You’ve outdone yourself for your first party.” My hand fell back to my front as I grasped my clutch, and I felt Seven’s hand touch my lower back. “Jumin thank you. I was so worried about the outcome but I’m glad it looks to be successful.” Soon Jaehee joined us and I hugged her as well. “Marlee you look wonderful. And the party is all ready for our first guests.”

Soon the party was in full swing and I found myself slinking back into the shadows. I was so excited about getting this party together that I completely neglected the thought of how massive and crowded it would be. True it was a formal party with some people seated, and others dancing and mingling, but the amount of people here made me nervous. As a respective member of the RFA, Seven was mingling with guests and chatting with everyone. It was almost magical to see him work the room, greeting people with his dazzling smile and infectious laugh. I suddenly had the urge to be a bit more like him, but the idea of putting myself out there only pressed me back against the wall harder. My fingers tightly held the stem of the wine glass, and I swallowed down a knot as I hoped I would just seem like a mannequin with a nice dress on. I was so lost in my thoughts that my heart jumped in my chest as a figure spoke next to me. “I assume crowds aren’t your thing either.” I glanced to the side to see Saeran staring out, his back against the wall with his arms crossed. I shook my head and glanced back out, but I muttered, “I was so caught up in planning that I forgot that I would have to attend and even mingle with everyone.” He nodded but his eyes followed his brother as he moved to another guest. “Saeyoung puts on a mask here. He seems friendly and outgoing, but I know he much rather be to the side with you.” I gave a little smile and nodded, thinking about the idea of all three of us on the couch together. 

“To be honest I much rather be back at the bunker, on the couch with you two and watching a stupid movie.”  
“Agreed.” I was somewhat shocked at how quickly he agreed but I straightened up a bit as Seven left a group with a smile and walked over to us. I extended a glass of water to him and he took it gratefully, taking a long sip. We stared as he downed almost half of it before taking a breath and saying, “I dislike kissing some of the asses here.” Saeran nudged my arm and muttered, “See?” Seven blinked between both of us before I only shook my head. “I’m glad at least one of us is. I forgot I dislike crowds.” Seven snorted and leaned against the wall on my other side, grazing my arm slightly. “I suppose I put you up for the wrong job then…” I glanced his way to see a twinkle in his eye, but I took a sip of my wine. “Talking over email to dozens of people is okay. Talking to dozens of people in person is different.” Seven took another sip of his water as he said quietly, “I suppose Jumin forgot to tell you about the big speech you’re supposed to make later right?” My fingers slacked against the wine glass and Saeran reached out to push it back in my hand before glaring at Seven. I stared at him as Saeran muttered, “You’re relentless.” Seven grinned as he noticed my pale face but his finger came up and gave my nose a quick _boop.  
_ “I’m kidding. Jumin and Jaehee do the speeches.” 

Mingling was somewhat halted as small plates and appetizers were passed around. Now upbeat music was playing as a few people shimmied and danced their best, but I sat with Saeran on a couch as Seven ran over. “Marlee! Come dance.” I shook my head as I took another sip, but he took the wine glass from my clutching hands and handed it to Saeran, and snatched me up from the couch. “Seven! I can’t dance to this!” I breathed, a slight giggle coming out. He wiggled me back and forth on the dance floor as bass reverberated through my body, and I giggled as he spun me. “See? Not that hard,” he spoke breathlessly, pulling against his body. We laughed and danced to the current song, and as it ended we were both flushed and smiling. He pulled me in and swayed slowly before I noticed Jaehee take the stage. He pressed his lips to my temple and pulled me back to the side as she started to speak. “Everyone, thank you for joining us again for the bi-annual RFA Party. I am pleased to see many familiar faces as well as new ones. This party would not be possible without the impeccable planning of our new party coordinator, Marlee Callahan.” She ushered to me as Seven and I stood to the side. I gave a bashful wave as there was applause, but Jaehee continued to discuss things about the party. As I watched Jaehee on the stage as she discussed numerous things, my eyes caught a waving figure across the room. Lexie stood with her arm high up in the air, waving happily. My face blanked for a moment as she scurried across the room, but Seven’s arms left my body as she took me in a bone-crushing hug. I grunted as she held me, but she pulled back with a large grin on her face. “Marlee, I had no idea! You planned this whole thing?” My face betrayed my inner anxiety as I gave a wide smile, nodding quickly. I could see Lexie’s eyes stray behind me as she noted Seven, and as she took a breath I stepped to the side and chirped, “Lexie this is Saeyoung…Saeyoung, this is my little sister Lexie.” He turned his face away from Jaehee to look at Lexie, and he gave a wide smile as he took her hand. “Lexie, pleasure to meet you.” She nodded as she shot me a look, but Seven gently touched my shoulder as he whispered, “Jumin is giving me a look from behind the curtain. I’ll be right back.” I nodded, but his fingers touched my chin as he gently placed a kiss to my lips. I heard Lexie gasp as he gave a smile and walked away, and as I watched his figure walk away she grabbed my arm and whispered, “Okay…details. Now.”


	10. Blue Screen

Lexie pulled me back and Seven disappeared behind a curtain, and she mumbled, “Is that the guy you’re seeing?”  
“Lexie…I’m not sure if we’re _seeing_ each other.” She gaped at me as I stared at the curtain, but she tugged on my arm. “Okay come with me. I need to talk to you.” I trailed behind her as Jumin took the stage now, discussing the finer points of the organization. I followed as she dragged me to an open patio, and she started to fire off questions. _How long have you two known each other? Have you kissed before now? Have you slept with each other?  
_ I pressed my hands on hers as if to calm her down, but I said quickly, “Lexie…he took me in after the situation with Lewis. We’ve just been living together for a week or two-”  
“Oh my god living together?! Mom’s going to have a fit…” I took her arms as she caught my eyes but I said quietly, “Mom isn’t going to know…right?” She nodded slowly and I nodded in agreement, but I glanced behind her to see a figure walk out from one of the doorways. He was dressed in a dark coat that reached his shins, and he wore a black pageboy hat. His presence immediately placed a pit in my stomach as he leaned against the stone railing, his eyes catching mine. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, but I whispered, “Lexie…can you go tell Saeyoung something for me?” She nodded and I continued, “Blue screen.” She made a face but I pushed on her arm to dismiss her, and she walked away without another word. Leading up to the party, Seven and I discussed phrases in which would alert him if anything were to happen. One of them was _blue screen,_ which in operating terms meant the operating system could no longer operate safely. In our terms, it merely translated to my safety was in question. This figure felt wrong, so I merely wanted his presence with me. I started to pace after her path, but a voice spoke, “Marlee?” I stopped in my tracks, clenching my fists. “Yes?” I turned my head to see the suited figure staring at me, but he questioned lowly, “Are you in any way associated with Luciel Choi?” My body was still, but I mustered, “Vaguely. He’s a member of the RFA and-”  
“Are you involved with him in any way?” Again I pushed a lie forward and I shook my head, swallowing. He studied me for a while before his footsteps echoed against the tile and he slowly made his way to me. I took a step back, and then another but soon jumped as I felt rough brick behind me. My hands pressed against the surface as I watched the figure near me, but he muttered, “I believe you are lying to me.” I shook my head as he stood mere inches from me now. I wanted to run, but if this was someone who knew Seven I wanted to be cautious with what they were capable of. My knees felt weak as his arm reached out with his palm open, but I heard frantic running before Seven’s frame came between me and the man. He pushed the man back hard, and he stumbled back a few steps before Seven asserted, his voice like venom, “Leave.”   
“Ah…707, here you are.”  
“I said _leave_.” For a moment Seven turned his head slightly to glance at me, giving me a once over before looking back at the man. “What are you doing here? And who sent you?” The man reached into the pocket of his coat, and we both stiffened before he pulled out what looked to be a flash drive. Seven stared at it for the longest time before the man said, “Take it. Once you and Vanderwood look it over-”   
“ _Who are you?_ ” Seven seethed, and the man took a step closer. “The details will be revealed in the flash drive.” Seven only glared at the man before snatching the small stick from his hand. With that, the man tipped his hat and with a knowing smile, he stepped back into the party. With my skin hot with anxiety, it was only now that I noticed how cold it was outside. I sharply inhaled before Seven shoved the flash drive into his breast pocket and turned to me. His hands grasped my arms as he whispered, “Marlee…are you okay? He didn’t-”   
“He didn’t do anything…” He nodded and pulled me against his chest, holding me.

After making sure Lexie made it home safely, we made our way home. Seven walked into the bunker first, followed by myself and Saeran. I stood in the living room as I watched Seven pace silently into his room, and Saeran walked past me to his room. My fingers idly picked at one another as I glanced around, unsure about what to do. I finally pulled my heels off and tiptoed into the bedroom to see Seven with a tank top and buttoning his jeans. He pulled his hoodie on and he turned to his computer as he cut it on. I set my shoes to the side as I whispered, “Seven, is there anything I-”  
“Just…be quiet.” His bluntness cut me off immediately, and I shifted nervously as I nodded, grabbing my pajamas before I stepped into the bathroom. I shut the door and I stared at myself in the mirror. My lipstick had faded long ago and my eye shadow had started to wear off and lose its color. I found myself kneeling now, staring at the floor as my hands rested on the counter still. Everything started to replay in my mind and I felt my breathing hitch. I started to feel the familiar signs of panic and I shut my eyes hard in an attempt to stop the sense of impending fear, but it crashed over me suddenly like a wave. I collapsed back on my butt against the tile of the bathroom floor, and suddenly felt constricted in my dress. I fidgeted as I tried to reach the zipper in the back, struggling for a few minutes before grabbing it and snatching it down. I shimmied out of the outfit as I took sporadic breaths, and I buried my face in my knees as I attempted to calm myself. My neck felt tight suddenly as my body broke out in a fast sweat. I attempted to slow my breathing, and soon Seven’s voice echoed in my head.

_Be quiet._

My fingers ran up through my hair, gripping tightly as my breathing refused to even out. This made even more difficult by the constriction on my airway and soon the symptoms trickled into my chest as it felt tight. I wanted, no, _needed_ Seven with me. I needed someone, but he was so wrapped up in tonight’s events that I felt almost like a burden at this point. The spiral of my thoughts pushed me down further and my chest continued to tighten. Slowly after only a few minutes did I force the thoughts out of my head. My heartbeat was still fast, but I tried to focus on the silence and my mind slowed with the negativity. I’m not sure how long I sat on the floor, but soon the grip on my hair loosened and my arms fell slack to my sides. My body felt weak and to the point of exhaustion. I slowly pulled myself from the floor and slid on my pajama shorts and shirt, and then quickly pulled back my curls to wash my face. The idea of a shower was far gone and I only wanted to curl into bed and sleep. I pushed my dress to the side and opened the door, stepping out into the bedroom. Seven was silent at the computer, his fingers typing quickly across the mechanical keyboard. He didn’t give me one glance as I stepped out, but I merely plugged up my phone and settled onto the bed, and scrolled through my phone. The melody of keys filled the air and I soon found my eyes heavy. My phone lay next to me on the bed as I rested against the covers, and soon I was out.

The next day was lonely, and I wouldn’t dare bother Seven with how he acted towards the man. When I first woke up he wasn’t at his desktop but quickly was found at the dining room table with his laptop, headphones on and his eyes trained on the screen. The whole day he moved between his desktop and laptop, and the entire time I didn’t see him take one break for anything. When it came time for lunch I prepared everyone something simple, and when I ushered some to Seven he merely ignored me as he kept typing. I tried to find ways to busy myself around the bunker, from attempting to talk to Saeran, watching TV, and then settling on my computer for God knows how long just to idly click through internet tabs before deeming the entire thing boring. It was nighttime time and Saeran had left to go out, leaving just Seven and myself in the bunker. He was at his desktop now, unmoving for going on two hours. I finally grabbed a can of his Dr. Pepper and a bag of chips before walking over to him at the desk. As I neared him I could see his eyes glance at me from the corner of his eye, but he lifted his hand to push back one side of the headphones. “Seven…you haven’t taken a break today…you need to take a small break at least…” I muttered, slowly extending the chips and drink to him. He continued to type for a few seconds before he reached over without looking at me and took the chips and drink. I was somewhat grateful that he at least took them from me, but he merely sat them to the side and continued working. I opened my mouth to say something, but I figured whatever I say would fall on deaf ears. I merely let my shoulders fall as I walked over to the bed, plopping down and pulling out my phone. I checked the messenger to see Zen and Yoosung chatting away and I quickly logged in. 

[Marlee] _Hey guys! I’m so bored T-T  
_ [Yoosung] _Marlee! Are you still with Seven?  
_ [Marlee] _Yep. But he’s busy with work right now. He’s been at his computer all day.  
_ [Zen] _Poor Marlee :( If you were with me we would be watching movies and falling asleep on the couch._

I shifted in the pillows. He’s flirting, right? That’s normal though. But why do I feel guilty for kinda enjoying the idea?

[Yoosung] _Zen you can’t say that! I think Seven and Marlee are together.  
_ [Marlee] _Yoosung we aren’t dating.  
_ [Zen] _Marlee if you were my girlfriend I would treat you to so many dates ;D  
_ [Marlee] _lol thank you Zen_

I shifted so that I now lay on my stomach, and I suddenly felt the need to go out. Being in the bunker all day felt suffocating, especially when Seven was ignoring me. 

[Marlee] _What are you guys doing right now?  
_ [Yoosung] _LOLOL  
_ [Zen] _Running lines_

I rolled my eyes. You guys are bores. I sighed and nestled my arm under the covers as I stared at the phone. My mind rolled with ideas on what I could do, and suddenly the thought of my home appeared from my memory. I glanced over to Seven to see him still busy at work, so I made haste to grab a pair of denim shorts to change into. I walked into the bathroom to change quickly, and I walked out nonchalantly. Seven didn’t seem to pay me any attention, and I quickly grabbed up my phone and my purse. I glanced back at him as I asked, “Do you want anything from the kitchen?” He grunted as he gave a slight shake of his head, and I stepped into the living room. I figured he would get an alert that the front door opened, so I slipped on my shoes and bolted for the door. I made it to the street and glanced around for the closest bus stop. I could see a sign stating the next stop and I quickly made my way to the stop. Only after a few seconds, my phone buzzed and I pulled it out to see a text from Seven.   
_Where are you going?  
_ I furiously typed as I heard the bus near the sign and I hit reply  
 _Nowhere.  
_ I boarded the bus and paid the fee, and plopped down in the seat. As the bus took off my phone buzzed again.  
 _Get your ass back here now.  
_ Oh well, with that attitude he isn't getting a response.

The bus ride was bombarded by texts by Seven, and within a ten-minute frame, I was dropped off outside the neighborhood where my home sat. I walked for a bit before reaching the front door and unlocking it quickly. I stepped inside and cut the light on, glancing around. Everything remained untouched, and I was happy about this fact. Again my phone buzzed and I rolled my eyes, tossing my purse on the couch. I pulled my hair up as I walked into the kitchen, pulling a soda from the fridge. I popped it open and made my way into my bedroom, tempted to pull out a mask for the night. I wiped my face and gently applied a skin mask to my skin, smoothing the mix over every inch. I kicked out of my shorts and pulled out some flannel pants, finally feeling at home. I was determined now to stay here for the night, away from the isolation that I felt in the full bunker. Besides, it’s not like Seven would pay any mind to me right? Lewis is in jail, so I had no worries at the moment. I walked out into the living room with my soda, my bangs pinned back as I took another sip, but I heard my phone ring again. I exhaled loudly and grabbed up the phone, pressing a button. I pressed it to my ear and before I could say anything I heard his rushed voice, “Marlee stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”  
“Seven I’m fine…don’t worry about me.”   
“Marlee, don’t be stupid…you’re going back to the bunker where-”  
“Where what? I can sit on your bed and look at my phone all night?” He was silent and I instantly regretted my rebuttal, but I muttered, “Seven…I’m fine. Go back home and work for right now.” Before he could argue I clicked out of the call, tossing my phone to the side. I meandered around the house with the can still in my hand as I let the mask dry, and I reached for the remote to turn on the TV. Without my computers, I needed a bit of background noise. After I noticed my skin tight from the mask, I stepped back into the bathroom and washed my face. After drying and applying a bit of lip balm, I skipped back into the living room, but I stopped dead in my tracks as I nearly jumped out of my skin. Seven sat on the couch staring at the TV, but he glanced up to see me walk in. I pressed my hand over my chest but I asserted, “I told you I was fine.”  
He shifted back with his arms crossed but he looked back at the TV as he muttered, “You may think you are, but you aren’t.” I glared at him as he sighed and cut the TV off, but stood quickly and said, “Come on, let's go back to my house.”  
“No, I’m staying here.” His steps stopped suddenly as he turned to look at me, and that was the first time his eyes were so cold towards me. I suddenly felt a nervous pit in my stomach, like I had seen that look before. I shivered as he started to walk towards me, and I stood there with my hands clenched into fists. He stood in front of me now with his hands in his pockets, but he snatched them out and grabbed my biceps. I flinched as he hissed, “Do you think I enjoy this? Enjoy spending hours slaving over a computer, trying to find out more information about a group of agents? Agents that have threatened you and Saeran if I don’t do things for them?”

My eyes widened at the mention of this, and his gaze slowly lost its rigidness as he realized what he said. He sighed as his fingers slipped away from my arms, but he rubbed his eyes and mumbled, “Marlee, just go get in my car…please…” I gave a slight nod as I scurried away from him, grabbing up my purse and phone and slipping into my shoes. I turned the lights off as Seven trailed behind me, but we stepped onto the deck as I locked the door. “I’m sorry…” I whispered, but he shook his head and took my hand. “Come on…let’s get back…” His fingers laced into mine as we walked to his car, and he opened the passenger side for me. I slid in and he shut the door without a second word, stepping over to his side. I felt my insides churn as he opened his door and slipped in as well, and with a roar, the engine awoke and we started our drive to the bunker. I stared off for a moment, content with the quiet but as he turned a corner I whispered, “Seven?”  
His head twitched to acknowledge my question, but I looked down at my pants. I felt guilty and almost selfish for the way I acted, but I mumbled, “I’m sorry for how I acted…” He shook his head as we passed under a green light, but he said quietly, “I’m sorry for not explaining everything…I had good intentions I swear, it just…” He gripped the steering wheel tighter and I heard him exhale. “I thought maybe if I didn’t explain the specifics, you would be happier.” My fingers idly picked at my purse as he said this and then under his breath, he admitted, “I debated even telling you to start a relationship with Zen or Jumin…You would be safer-”  
“S-shut up. I don’t want to hear it.” He flinched as he looked at me and I crossed my arms, glaring at him. His foot pulled away slightly from the gas and cars started to pass us, but I blurted, “I love _you_ , Saeyoung Choi. No one else. You can’t just push me away…” The last few words left my lips as a whisper as I realized what I admitted, and I felt my face burn. Did I just admit… He pulled off to the side of the road as I stared, but as he put it in park I shifted nervously and stared out the window in an attempt to hide my face. “Marlee…” he spoke, and I felt his hand touch my thigh. I shakily took a breath but I turned my head towards him. I could see the street lights cast a gleam in his glasses as he stared at me, and my mouth gaped open as it started to dry. “Seven I-”  
He shushed me as he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, his hand snaking to the back of my head and holding me close. I stumbled a bit with my actions but my hand pressed the middle console as I kiss him back, somewhat harder than I planned to. I felt his tongue run across my bottom lip and I opened a bit wider to grant him access. His tongue tangled with mine with an explosion and it wasn’t until he slowly pulled away did I feel my body shiver. He pressed his forehead to mine, but he whispered breathlessly, “I love you, Marlee, so please let me keep you safe.” I gave a slight nod as he kissed me quickly before putting the car back into drive and pulling out of the parking spot.


	11. Closure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Towards the end of the chapter, a few more details of Marlee's abuse is explained, along with cussing. Just a forewarning to those who find that makes them uneasy.

_ A best friend is the only one that walks into your life when the world has walked out ― Shannon l. Alder _

Since that night with Seven, I gave him his space and understood it was for the best. In return, he took a few breaks which included cuddle breaks with me. He said it helped control his blood pressure but I wasn’t sure how accurate that was. After maybe a week of him at his computer, I was sitting on the couch with Saeran as he rushed out his bedroom, his pants up around his waist but unbuckled. Saeran groaned and covered his eyes as I stared, but Seven yelled, “Vanderwood! I got them.” He set his phone on the dining room table as buttoned his jeans but I watched as Vanderwood paced out of the separate room. “Positive?”  
“Yeah, we can pinpoint their location if we move now.” Vanderwood nodded and disappeared into the bedroom again, and I watched as Seven paced back into his bedroom. I jumped up to follow him, and as I entered the bedroom he was sliding on his hoodie. He pulled it taut against his back but he glanced at me. I was about to ask but he stepped behind me and shut the door. “Seven, what-” I stopped as he took my face in his hands and kissed me with such urgency it made my knees weak. He pushed me back against the door as his lips moved against mine, and a low groan escaped my throat. He pressed his forehead to mine as his hand cupped my jaw but he whispered, “Promise you won’t leave without Saeran. You stay-”  
“I’ll stay safe,” I whispered, and he nodded as he gave me another kiss before pulling me away from the door and stepping out to meet Vanderwood. I stared out for a moment but I stepped out and watched as they walked out. Again I was silent as Saeran settled into the couch again, and I was only left staring at the front door.

There was a long week of silence. Saeran and I went through routines; he stayed in his room majority of the time as I rotated between my computer and phone. I tried to keep the bunker clean and keep my anxiety low as communication with Seven was seldom. Once or twice through the week, he would text me just to let me know he was still alive and working towards a solution with the current bad guys. It was the weekend and after I made dinner for both Saeran and I. He ate in silence and quickly retreated to his bedroom while I sat at the dining room table. Part of me wondered if Seven informed his brother of the entire situation as I sensed his nonchalant attitude, but at this point I was unsure. After cleaning up the kitchen and making the entire living area presentable I decided to get a bath. The welcoming heat of the bathwater was a comfort and I merely rested back against a side of the tub. After confronting our feelings for one another, it seemed a bit more lonely without Seven here, but I only looked forward to having him home even more. I was curious how our relationship would transition after he came home, but I merely let my daydreams entertain my mind. My eyes were closed as I rested in the bubbles before I heard my phone vibrate to the side. It continued to vibrate as I realized someone was calling me, and I reached up to grab it from the side of the tub. I saw Seven’s name on the screen and I quickly pressed a button to accept the call. “Hello?” I questioned, and I heard shuffling from his end. “Marlee,” he spoke, but it was quiet as I heard a door shut. I waited as I sat up in the tub, but he continued, “I’m glad I reached you at a good time.” I only hummed as I shifted my legs under the water, and I debated teasing him before I only said lowly, “Just in the bathtub right now…” I could tease him later, but I figured the situation didn’t warrant sexy innuendos. To my surprise, he was quiet as I heard a bed creak, but he whispered, “I regret not putting cameras in the bathroom now.” I rolled my eyes with a giggle, but while on the call with him I pulled the phone back and took a selfie, my shoulders visible above the bubbles as my messy bun sat skewed to the side of my head. I quickly sent it to him and waited and I heard him move against the sheets, a beep or two before he grumbled. “You can’t send me things like thaaaaat,” he whined, and I merely giggled.

“All the more motivation to come home safe. I figured you might like it.” He was again quiet and I wondered what he was doing, but he whispered, “I _really_ wish I could hold you right now…” I settled deeper into the water, and I hummed. “That sounds nice.” He sighed and I heard stress through that simple gesture. “Are you okay?” I whispered, and he grunted in acknowledgment. “This is just…just more of a delicate mission… I haven’t done one of these in a while and it’s somewhat tiring how much has to be done during the whole thing.” I nodded, feeling bad for the amount of stress he was enduring, but I gave a small smile and chirped, “Well whenever you come home I can give you a long, well-deserved massage.”  
“Just a massage?” The water suddenly felt cool as my body heated up, but I hissed, “Seven!” He gave a chuckle and mumbled, “I kid…a massage from you sounds wonderful right now.” We were quiet for a moment as I listened to his breathing, but I questioned, “Are you sleepy?”  
“No?” His tone indicated the lie and I shook my head. “Don’t let me keep you up. Get some rest.”  
“But I’m imagining you in a bubble bath and I don’t want to sleep…” Again I flustered and I stumbled over my words as I mumbled, “S-Saeyoung Choi…”  
“Oh, I do like when you say my name like that.” I muffled a slight squeal and I glared at the phone. I shouldn’t have even said anything about the bath now. He merely sighed and I could only imagine him lying in the bed rubbing his eyes. “Fineee…just text me right before you go to bed.” I nodded and pulled my legs under the water. “I will…I love you Saeyoung.”  
“I love you too Marlee.”  
“And…please hurry up and come home safe.” He gave a hum and muttered, “Don’t worry. I got this under control. But just you wait until I get home. I’m going to hold you and not let go.” I giggled and I felt my lips turn into a smile. “I look forward to it. Goodnight handsome.” He seemed a bit flustered but told me goodnight as well and we got off the phone.

I quickly washed and got out of the tub before dressing. I slipped on a pair of panties and found a baggy shirt of Seven’s. I slipped it on and relished the scent of his cologne in the fabric. I settled into the bed and quickly found a good angle before sending him another picture of me seated in his bed, my hair wet and messy with his t-shirt clinging to my skin. I sent it and snuggled into the sheets as I waited for his message. I assumed he might already be asleep, but as I browsed through his phone I received a quick reply. _I have a gorgeous woman in my bed and I’m not even there. That’s just my luck._ I felt a flutter in my chest as I pushed myself into the sheets, but I replied, _Don’t worry. I’ll still be here when you get home._ I waited as my own eyes started to get heavy, but I received a picture message from him this time. My breathing hitched as I pressed the message to view the picture, and I only smiled to see his sleepy eyes peering at me as he rested on a pillow. His glasses were off and his hair was mussed, but I responded with, _Oh and this sexy man is sending me pictures and I’m not with him?_ I waited patiently and again he was quick with a reply. _Ma’am, you flatter me. But I might go to sleep…I just wanted to make sure you were safe in bed. I love you. Goodnight beautiful._

Another week had passed and Seven and I continued to text and call each other for small moments at a time. It was a Thursday afternoon and I sat at a large conference table at  _ R&C _ . I idly doodled on the paper as Jumin continued to go on about the new party, but Jaehee glanced my way. I assume she noticed my distant look as she questioned, “Marlee, is Luciel still out on business?” I jerked my head towards her but I gave a slight nod. “We’ve been talking to each other on the phone every other night, but I’m not sure when he’ll be back.” Jumin cleared his throat and I glanced up at him from my paper full of squiggles. “Well, let him know I have a position open for him once he decides to change his career.” I nodded with a smile before looking back at the paper. We were planning for the next party, and I was going over the list of sure guests, and then some potential ones to contact. Thinking back on the past party, I wrote a little note to the side before I questioned, “Jumin? Is it possible for us to strengthen security for the next party?” I wasn’t sure how the strange man made it into the invite-only party, and Jumin made a face. “Was there an incident at the previous party?” Of course, everyone was not aware of the threat that entered the party under the guise of guest, and I wasn’t sure how much Seven wanted them to know, but I merely set my pen down. “Just…my sister and I were approached by someone who wasn’t on the list. No one’s fault, just want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Jumin seemed shocked, almost offended that his security detail failed in his aspect, but he merely nodded and made a note on his paper. We were silent for a moment before my phone buzzed to the side. I pressed a button to glance at the notification and it was a text from Saeran simply reading,  _ He’s back.  _ The speed in which I jumped up from my chair startled both Jaehee and Jumin, and before one of them could as I crammed everything into my bag. “I’m sorry! I have to leave…just email me with any other ideas or details.” They gave slight nods as I hurried out of the conference room.

I ran straight to the bunker. Seven could be mad at me later, and with the determination I had to see him again I doubt anyone could easily abduct me. I raced to the bunker before reaching the front door. I attempted to open it before the speaker spoke, “Password?”  
_ Safinat fadayiya.*   
_ The door unlocked and I stepped inside, skipping out of my shoes and setting my purse to the side. Seven’s bedroom door was open and I walked to him, and I froze at the sight. Vanderwood sat on the edge as he wrapped gauze around Seven’s arm, and Saeran stood to the side as they talked amongst each other. Seven’s eyes roamed to me as his speech faded, and then all three of them were looking at me. I stared at him, unsure of the situation before Saeran stepped out. Vanderwood secured the wrap around his arm before standing and leaving as well. He shut the door behind him as I stood in the room, but Seven gave a grin and sang,  _ “Honey I’m home!”  
_ “Sae…Saeyoung what happened?” I whispered, my footsteps light against the floor as I slowly walked over to his bed and sat on the side closest to him. He fidgeted against the sheets as he glared at his arm, but looked up at me bashfully. “I may have been a bit slow dodging bullets, but I’m fine!” He plastered a smile on his face and it only faded as my eyes studied the bandage on his bicep. He flexed his arm before his hands settled in the sheets, and he kept his eyes on my face. “Honestly it’s fine…”  
I gaped at him, but I leaned forward as I cried, “Seven you can’t just say getting shot is fine!” His lips creased in a frown as I sighed and pushed myself back, my hand raking through my hair. There was silence between us for a moment as I stared at him, but he whispered, “I rather be the one getting hurt than you or Saeran.”

I think since Seven arrived home I started to get on his nerves. I attempted to do everything for him, making sure he was comfortable and healing properly. I was so worried about his well being, and finally one day he stated  _ If you’re going to baby me at least put on the nurse outfit I have in the closet.  _ After that comment, I decided to ease away from the constant monitoring and offer help whenever he felt like asking. The only issue was him using his right arm which he had the bullet wound. He would try to pick up heavy objects and items and I would attempt to take them from him, which in turn he would get annoyed and then both Vanderwood and Saeran would scold him for being stupid. Slowly, the wound had closed and had scabbed over, indicating a small scar on Saeyoung’s tricep. He joked how this was a war wound, but I didn’t like it. I wasn’t comfortable with his job putting his life on the line. And I think under his façade of humor and memes, he thought the same. I remember him saying he wanted to escape, but he was waiting for the right time. When would be the right time? And who’s to guarantee people wouldn’t come after him once he left? I’m sure he had thought of all of this, but in the back of my brain, these thoughts stewed. Would he always be in danger? Were bullet holes in skin always a constant threat? My feelings were mixed; I still loved Saeyoung and cared about his brother and Vanderwood greatly. But this life would always be after him.

A few days later and it was a court date to see what consequences awaited Lewis. I dressed in a simple beige dress with a black blazer and black heels. I pulled my hair back as I pushed earrings into my ears, and then I stepped out into the living room. Saeran lounged on the couch scrolling through his phone as Seven sat in the lounge chair idly flipping through channels. He glanced up to see me slip my phone in my purse, but he chirped, “Oh ho! What’s the occasion?” He gave a smile, but it faded slightly to see my tense features. I took a breath and muttered, “I have to go to court to finalize everything, and also see what Lewis has in store for him…” It was now I found myself clenching my jaw, and now I consciously released it. Seven pushed himself up from the chair as he walked over, his hands on my shoulders immediately as he let his fingers rub small circles. I sighed as I let my head fall, but he muttered, “How were you going to get there?” I turned my head to the side to see his inquisitive face, a hint of humor behind his eyes. I was silent as my lips pressed into a thin line, but finally, I whispered, “…You’re going to take me?”   
“Of course I am!” I giggled as his hands left my shoulder and wrapped around my waist, squeezing me. Saeran rolled his eyes from the couch, but Seven threw a jacket at him. “Come, brother! We shall be her support system!” Saeran snatched the coat off his face from where Seven threw it, but I mustered my best pout and just above a whisper I said, “If you go I’ll treat you all to sundaes…” The glare left his face immediately as his face deadpanned, and nodded slowly.

The brothers sat in the gallery behind the small half wall, watching my form sit at my table while my lawyer stood next to me. Lewis sat at the table with his own lawyer a few yards away, dressed in his grey jumpsuit. I continued to rub my palms against my dress in an attempt to dry them, but my lawyer walked over to the judge. “Sir, here are the pictures from the most recent attack, as well as everything accounted for through their relationship.” The judge took the folder and glanced through some of the pictures, but he reached a page and his eyes trailed down as he read. I was curious as to what caught his attention, but he glanced up at me. “Miss Callahan, I see you spent multiple trips in the hospital throughout this three-year relationship.”  
“Yes sir,” I spoke, my voice cracking slightly. He flipped the page, and I saw his eyes continue down the page. “I also see here…a year into your marriage you were in the labor and delivery unit at the hospital.” I flinched, but affirmed again, “Yes sir.” Seven’s eyes furrowed as Saeran glanced towards his brother, but my lawyer spoke, “Yes your honor. My client was eight weeks pregnant at the time of an attack, which led her to miscarry.” Both boys seemed to flinch at the mention of this. Seven had seen my numerous hospital visits, and he just assumed they were all under the same circumstances. Lewis groaned and rolled his eyes, but the judge glared at him. His gaze returned to me as he asked, “Was there any subsequent pregnancies after that?” I swallowed as I looked at my lawyer, and she nodded, but I looked back at the judge and spoke softly, “One, though that ended in a miscarriage as well. It was natural circumstances.” The judge was silent now as he flipped through the papers, finishing with the folder. He started to write a few things down, but after what seemed like hours he cleared his throat and looked between us. “This court orders Lewis Hilson to remain in jail for a year. After that, you are to serve community service which will be assigned at a later hearing…”  
“Bullshit!” Lewis yelled, jumping up. I jumped at his outburst, and the judge only continued at his normal tone. “After your jail time is completed, you are to remain 500 yards away from Miss Callahan at all instances.” Again Lewis yelled out, but the judge hit his gavel on the desk. “Mr. Hilson, one more outburst-”  
“It’s all that bitch’s fault! She pissed me off! She deserved it!” I buried my head down as my body shook but the judge hit the gavel again. “Bailiff, take him back.” A man in a uniform nodded and walked towards Lewis, grabbing his arm and dragging him through a door towards the side. Before he disappeared Lewis glared at me and yelled, “Fuck you, Marlee. FUCK YOU!” I could hear the yelling as the door shut, and soon the noise died down.

I walked down the steps, my blazer over my arm as Seven and Saeran walked on each side of me. We were quiet, but Saeran mumbled, “I’ve never wanted to go to jail, but just now I want to be in the same cell with that guy for five minutes…” I jerked my head to him as he kept his eyes on the ground, but I turned back to Seven as I felt his hand on my waist. “Are you okay?” I caught his eyes and his entire face seemed pained. I nodded but only was quiet. As we reached the bottom of the steps I pushed my shoulders back and pulled away from Seven, standing in front of them now. They gave me a bewildered look at my new found smile, but I forced a smile and chirped, “Right, so shall we celebrate with ice cream now? I need a pick me up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Safinat fadayiya - a rough translation from Google Translate means Space Ship in Arabic. I apologize if this is incorrect.
> 
> This is the last 'clean chapter'. From here on now, later chapters will include a bit more smut. Chapter 12 is completely NSFW as Saeyoung and Marlee advance their relationship to a physical level.


	12. Closeness *NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pure smut. Seven and Marlee explore the physical side of their relationship more. If this is not your thing you can skip the chapter without missing any of the story. I will have the next chapter posted soon :)

_Sex is an emotion in motion ― Mae West_

I had been living with Seven and Saeran for almost two months now. Seven convinced me to get rid of my house because, in his words, _This is your home now. Why keep the other one?_ Around this time Lexie was looking for somewhere affordable to stay, so she and I worked out an agreement that she could use my house from now on. She seemed happy to be away from mom and dad and to have her own place, but now mom and dad had found out I was living with a man. God forbid they find out I’m living with two other men, but now they seemed adamant on meeting Seven and finding out more about him. Seven played it off and joked, _I swept you off your feet. I can do the same with your parents,_ but I could sense he was nervous. Now that made two of us. Lexie attempted to calm us both one night as I sat at the dining room table at her house. “It’s no big deal. I think they just want to gauge what kind of person he is.” I shrugged and dug my chopsticks further into my box of lo mein before I stuck a few noodles in my mouth. I chewed for a moment as she watched me, but I swallowed and said, “You know how mom is! She’s so…critical of everything. Be my luck she hates him because of his hair color…” Lexie snorted as I sighed and set my box on the table, but we turned towards the bedroom as Seven walked out with a few wires. “Lexie, I reset the wifi network, it should be okay…the technician that initially set it up didn’t do it correctly.” She nodded as he walked into the kitchen towards the trash but I looked back at her and said lowly, “Quit using my boyfriend at tech support.” She shrugged and her eyes widened. “Well, you refused to do it.”   
I glared at her but I felt a hand on my shoulder and Seven’s lips against the side of my head. “I don’t mind. I quite like doing this stuff.” He started to walk back towards the bedroom but Lexie dug around in her food. “Your boyfriend is a genius…”  
“Yeah don’t remind me…” I giggled, taking a sip of my soda.

I stepped back into the bunker behind Seven as it was quiet throughout the living room. The lights and TV were off, and I glanced around. “I guess Saeran went to bed,” I muttered, slipping out of my shoes. Seven gave a hum as he pulled off his own shoes and I sauntered to the bedroom. I let my purse fall to the side as I collapsed back onto the bed and as he walked in I muttered, “I’m sorry for Lexie…” I heard a snort and he questioned, “Why so?”  
“Since I’m not her technology support, she found a new puppet…” My eyes were shut but I heard the door shut and suddenly the bed around me pressed down. I opened my eyes to see a mess of red hair above me, his golden eyes watching me. I gave a little smile but he whispered, “You think tech support is sexy…”  
“You got me there.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine as I wrapped my arms around his neck. In the past few weeks, Seven and I had slowly progressed our relationship forward physically. I can’t complain, but I wouldn’t dare tell him the dirty thoughts in my mind. As his lips moved against mine I felt his tongue run across my bottom lip and I parted my mouth to grant him access. His hands moved to mine as he pinned them above my head as he continued to kiss me. I smiled as his touch moved to my cheek, and then my jaw, kissing down my neck. Goosebumps coated my skin as he nipped at the sensitive flesh there, but I sighed and whispered, “S-Seven…” His lips stopped the motions, and I thought maybe he changed his mind, but he pulled back up towards my face and whispered, “Can you do me a teeny tiny favor?” I nodded quickly, and he gave a smirk. “Just call me Saeyoung.” My chest swelled as he mentioned this, but I merely whispered, “Okay…” I felt his fingers grip my own and he leaned back into my ear as he nipped at my ear lobe. “We’ve been dating for a few months and you never call me Saeyoung…” His teeth grazed down my neck as my heart sped up into my throat, but I felt my body warm with flush as I whispered, “I can do that…”

He hummed as I felt his lips move towards my cleavage, but suddenly his phone rang to the side. I turned my head against the comforter as his motions continued, but I whispered, “Sev- Saeyoung do you need to get-”  
“Nope,” he muttered, planting a kiss below my collar bone. The ringing continued as I felt him tug on the button of my cardigan with his mouth, but after a moment it finally stopped. As I felt him move the fabric of my shirt up, I felt knots in my stomach. So far our relationship had progressed to heated make-out sessions and groping certain areas, and I felt so guilty for leaving him aroused every time. But I felt so nervous to expose myself again at this level. Lewis was the first and only person I had been with physically, and although that experience left me unsatisfied the majority of the time, I couldn’t explain the nerves. Did I have naughty stories written about Saeyoung and myself? Of course, but I wouldn’t dare share my ideas. I pursed my lips at the thought of my stories, but I noticed his movements stopped as he brought his face to mine. “What kind of look is that?” He furrowed his brow but I quickly blurted, “Nothing! Just thinking.”  
“You’re not supposed to be thinking right now, you’re supposed to be-”  
 _RING  
_ He sighed and glanced to the side, pulled his hands away from me as he reached over and grabbed his phone. His eyes narrowed into a glare as he noticed the screen, but he pressed a button and spoke lowly, “Yoosung…” I couldn’t help but cover my mouth as a giggle bubbled in my chest, but he looked down at me as I could hear cries from the other end. “Wait…slow down. What happened?” I was silent as the crying continued, but Saeyoung rubbed his temples and said quickly, “Well did you do anything to get banned?” I bit my lip as my lips curved up, but Saeyoung merely shook his head and muttered, “If you were banned, I can’t do anything about that…sorry…” There were a few more words from the other end before he pressed a button and tossed the phone to the side. He sighed and mumbled, “That boy…” Against the nerves in my stomach, I pressed my legs against his and shifted my body, pushing him down against the bed. His eyes widened as he watched me hover above him, but bashfully I whispered, “Let me just do this…” He nodded slowly as I leaned in and kissed him gently, my fingers trailing down his chest. His breathing hitched at the touch but my lips hovered above his. “I’m nervous, so be easy please…” Again he nodded and my fingers touched the buckle of his jeans. He kept his eyes on me as my fingers touched his buttons and I quickly unbuckled them. I pulled them down to his knees as I now saw his grey boxers. My palm traveled up his thigh and I gingerly touched the hard bulge under his boxers. He took a breath as I leaned in to gently kiss his lips again, but he whispered, “Marlee…”

“Is this okay?” 

He nodded and attempted to reach my mouth again, but I smiled and shook my head. “No sir…I’m in control right now.” His face was a conflict between enjoyment and aching, but as my hand rubbed his groin I dragged kisses down to the edge of his boxers. He lay back on the bed as my fingers grasped the edge of his boxers, pulling them down slowly. He watched with baited anticipation as I pulled them to join his pants around his knees, and out sprung his stiff member. I always wondered how big he was and now I had my answer staring at me in the face. He immediately misinterpreted my silence as a negative and he poked his head up from the bed. Before he could question, I squeaked, “You’re bigger than I thought you might be…” He smirked and propped his head up to watch me, but he questioned, “Is that a good or bad thing?” I swallowed as my hand traveled up his naked thigh but I muttered, “Might be bad for me later on…” He gave a little chuckle but I kept my eyes on him as my hand reached his member. My fingertips trailed up slowly, and I gave the tip a slow kiss. His head fell back as I trailed kisses down the length, and then finally trailed my tongue back up to the tip. I could hear his shallow breathing and he quickly whispered, “Marlee you don’t have to do this…”  
“I want to…I’ve wanted to for a while…” My body flushed as I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, and I looked back at him as I slowly pushed the tip past my lips and into my mouth. There I could taste the small bead of precum resting there. He gave a grunt as I watched his hands grip the sheets, but I kept a slow pace as I bobbed up and down on the tip. Slowly I took more of him in my mouth, my hands moving to his thighs as my nails grazed down the skin. His hips bucked involuntarily, and he muttered, “Sorry…” I giggled with him still in my mouth, and I slowly pulled out with a loud pop. “It’s okay…am I doing okay?”

He fidgeted and readjusted the grip of the bedsheets, but he croaked, “The word ‘okay’ is a grave understatement…” My lips curved into a smile and I slowly went back down, caressing his length with my tongue as it went back to my mouth. The room was filled with his moans as I worked my way up and down his hard length, and it didn’t seem long until he grunted and rushed, “Marlee, I’m-” His words broke on his lips and I increased the pace, stroking what I couldn’t fit in my mouth with my hand. His hands clenched the sheets hard as his knuckles went white, and his hips pushed against my mouth as he moaned out. Warm bitter liquid filled my mouth as I stroked him to completion, and as he took a deep breath I swallowed the mix down. I gave the tip a little kiss as it twitched, but I giggled and fell next to him on the bed. “Hopefully I was good.” I lay there and stared at his dazed expression before he turned to me with wide eyes. “That was amazing…” I bit my lip as a wide smile broke across my face, but I watched as his body shivered and he scrambled off the bed. “You wait…just you wait…” he waddled off to the bathroom with his pants around his knees as he shut the door. I sat up with a smile, but I turned my head as his phone started to ring again. I glanced at the screen as I heard him from the bathroom, “Ignore it.”  
“It’s Jumin this time…” I called, picking up the phone. I stared at it for a while before he flushed the toilet and stepped out, leaning in as I handed him the phone. He clicked a button and held the phone between his ear and shoulder, but his hands leaned down and pushed on my shoulders as I fell back. I gasped out as he moved quickly and unbuttoned my pants. I squealed as he snatched them off, but he said, “Jumin make it quick…” His motions stopped as his body slackened a bit, but he said quickly, “Wait…are you sure? How much was taken?” He fell back to kneel on his legs, but I sat up to watch him. His brows were knit together as he looked down at his watch, but then at me. “I…I can do that yeah…just give me access. I’ll call you later.” He pulled the phone away and pressed a button, sighing. I noticed his shoulders slump but I questioned, “Is someone in need of the Defender of Justice?” He chuckled and rubbed his head, but his hands pressed against the bed on each side of me. “I feel so bad-"  
“Jumin needs you more…”

“It’s debatable…” I forced a smile but my hand came up to the side of his face and he leaned in and gave me a peck. “I promise to make it up to you…I’m not going to leave you hanging like this.” I smiled and kissed him back as he leaned over the edge of the bed and pulled up my jeans, handing them to me. He pulled away and walked over to his computer as he pressed the power button. As I slipped them on I questioned, “Is everything okay?” Seven grumbled and waited as the desktop loaded, but he murmured, “Someone hacked Jumin’s business bank account. He said they wiped him clean.” My eyes widened as I buttoned my jeans, but I stood from the bed. “Can you find who did it?” My hand rested on the back of his chair but he blew a raspberry and glanced at me. “ _Can I find them_? Ma’am, I’m insulted…” He huffed but started typing into a browser. Now he was quiet as he concentrated on finding a trail, but I only leaned in and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’m going to get a shower,” I whispered, but I went to pull away and he grabbed my hands. I stopped as he kept his eyes on me, but he quietly said, “Marlee…I just want you to know. I hate not returning the pleasure…” I gave a little smile and shook my head, but he continued. “I just want you to understand that’s not me. I have to take care of this for Jumin, but if this hadn’t come up I would have you pinned on the bed right now…” I gulped at his directness, but he merely gave a smile. “I’ll try to wrap this up quick and then I want to take care of you…if you’ll let me.” Again I smiled, but I felt my eyes water as I nodded. Before he could notice, I merely leaned in and kissed his lips before pulling away towards the bathroom. I shut the door and pressed my back to the door. I was so taken aback by him being so adamant to give me pleasure that I found myself overwhelmed. When I was married, the relationship was never like that. Lewis almost seemed selfish with what pleasure he could get and never seemed to care about what he could do for me. But now…now I had someone who would never leave me lacking. I felt my heart speed up as I wiped my eyes, but I quickly shimmied out of my clothes and started the water. I was nervous about him giving me pleasure, and yet at the same time, I was ready for that connection. I stepped in and quickly scrubbed my hair and body, and also made sure my legs were smooth. I paid special attention to wash between my legs well, grooming that area carefully.

After my shower I brushed through my hair and wrapped a towel around myself, stepping back into the bedroom. Saeyoung sat at the desk, his eyes glued to the screen with his hand on the mouse. He idly rubbed his chin, but I stepped to the bed as I started to change. I pulled on a pair of panties, and as I found a shirt, he turned quickly and snapped. I stopped as he muttered, “I’m almost done. You stay naked.” I flushed as I bit my lip, nodding. He turned back to the computer as he started typing, and I glanced to the side as I saw his black and yellow hoodie. I quickly pulled up and pulled it on my naked body, zipping it halfway. I sat cross-legged on the bed as I watched his form, but I took a breath and leaned back against the pillows. My hand traveled down my chest where I reached my aching core, and I gently rubbed outside the fabric. I could tease him just a bit, for funsies. I pressed myself in the pillows as I continued to rub, but I pulled the fabric to the side and touched the bare nub. I gave a little whine, wiggling in the covers, and he turned. His eyes widened at the sight of me lying there touching myself in his hoodie, but he stuttered, “No w-wait! Don’t start without me.” His hands rested on the keyboard but he kept his eyes on me as he continued to watch with hunger. I wiggled my hips as I continued to gingerly touch myself, but I whispered, “You should finish the work first…” He gaped as one finger slid between my lips, and he sputtered as he turned around and started to type hastily. “You stop! That's my job.” I giggled as I let the fabric fall back over my lips, but I continued to rub small circles. He stood from his chair and continued typing, but released a fake moan. “Saeyoung…” He sighed and clicked a few things, before grabbing his phone and sending a quick message to Jumin, before tossing it into a pile of clothes and launching himself on me. I squealed as he pushed my hands away from my core as he pressed his lips to mine. His tongue tangled with mine in hunger before he broke away and breathlessly said, “So naughty…” I gave a bashful smile as he nipped down to the zipper of his hoodie, but he whispered, “I was going to just please you, but now I think you deserve punishment…” I cooed and responded, “Oh you think so?”  
“Mhm…” One hand left mine as he grabbed the zipper and pulled it down achingly slow. He pushed away one side as his face neared my breast, but his lips merely grazed the skin. His hot breath danced across my nipple and I felt goosebumps immediately. I sighed as his other hand trailed down my arm and now his fingers caressed around it. He looked up at me with a glint in his eye, and slowly his tongue emerged from his mouth. He flicked the nipple with a quick touch as his free hand worked my other breast in a small massage. I watched as he took the nipple in his mouth, his tongue now rolling around the erect nipple in small circles. I waited, but a gasp escaped my throat as he pulled away with a _pop_. He moved to the other breast, doing the same movements. My back arched, in both pleasure and attempt to get closer, but a hand pushed on my waist as he pressed me back. “No, ma’am. This is your punishment.”

He trailed kisses down my abdomen, and then he stopped at my panties. He adjusted himself on the bed before grazing his lips past the clothed nub. My hips bucked slightly at the sensation, and his eyes flicked up to me. He pressed a kiss to my nub before his palm came up and pressed against it. The pressure made me whine, but he whispered, “You smell so good…I bet you taste good too.” I flushed at his words, and his hand left my center. I immediately missed the touch but his nails ran up my thighs as he grasped the fabric of my panties and pulled them down. He was slow with this as well, dragging his nails down my legs as he pulled them off. He tossed them to the side and nestled himself between my legs. His fingers grazed around my lips, careful not to touch me directly. I whined and wiggled my hips, but he looked up at me. “Does someone not like their punishment?” I pouted as he rose back to my face, but I whispered, “I need you…” I could see his eyes flinch at this sentence but he gave my nipple a squeeze as he responded, “You didn’t need me earlier while you were laying in bed touching yourself…” I gaped but he only smirked and gave my lips a kiss before moving back to my center. I expected achingly slow movements but I looked down as he was watching me. “Are you…okay with hickies? And biting?” I shrugged and said, “Hickies yes…biting I’ve never experienced, so just start slow please.” He nodded and I watched as he moved to my inner thigh. First I felt his breath across my skin, but soon his lips made contact. I felt him suck at the skin, and as soon as I felt tension he released, running his tongue over the flushed spot. I fidgeted as I felt warmth in the pit of my stomach, but I whispered, “Is it weird that I really wanted you to give me hickies…?” He chuckled, and I heard him whisper, “Oh-ho so a fantasy?” I bit my lip but he peppered kisses up my abdomen as he reached my face again. “Hickies you say?” I couldn’t help but smile at this but he leaned into my neck. I took a breath as I felt him run his tongue over the heated skin but soon he sucked again, pulling back as I felt the side of my neck sensitive. “I’m glad you told me…so I can do this and let everyone know you’re taken…”

He slid back between my legs and he continued with his teasing moments. My thighs shook as he moved in that manner, but he suddenly made direct contact with my nub. I shivered as his tongue pressed against the bundle of nerves before his hands wrapped around my thighs and he started to work against my center. I started to wiggle, moaning against his forceful tongue. He could tell I was getting close, and that’s when he slowed and moved his kisses to my thigh. I could feel him chuckle against the skin when I groaned. He did this a few times before he whispered, “Are you going to be a good girl?” I nodded quickly as his tongue lapped at my heat, but he moved back to my clit where he moved quickly. I moaned and bucked my hips against his face, but he held me steady as I cried out, shivering against his hold. I sighed out as my fingers gripped his hoodie, but as he continued his movements I wiggled away from his grip. “It tickles!” I giggled, and he smiled as he came back to my face. He left kisses over my face but he finally reached my lips with a deep kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as I kissed him back, but he pulled back. “I was okay right?”  
“Better than my fanfictions.”


	13. Parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this has taken a while. Writer's block has hit me a bit hard and I was a bit conflicted on how to take this chapter. Enjoy, and I promise the next chapter won't take forever to upload.  
> I hope everyone is staying safe in these current conditions <3

The next morning I awoke to the feeling of soft breath against my neck. I now realized I lay against Saeyoung’s chest, his arm draping over my waist. I also realized that I lay naked under the sheets, the only thing clothing me was my pink panties. Memories exploded in my mind as I remembered everything from last night, and I felt my cheeks burn. Oh goodness…last night was amazing. I smiled and snuggled against his body, but I heard him groan and his arm tightened around my waist. His nose nuzzled in my neck but he sleepily croaked, “Mornin'.”   
“Good morning,” I whispered, closing my eyes and relishing the warmth. His lips touched my shoulder gently before I opened my eyes and turned to him. There he met my lips with a soft kiss, but he pulled back and whispered, “I hope the video camera picked up everything last night.” My mouth gaped open as I gave his arm a playful slap, but he snickered and buried his face in my shoulder. I tangled my leg in his and muttered, “Do you think anyone heard us?” He shrugged and pulled away to look in my face, pushing my hair back from my face. “Not sure, but I know they’ll let us know when we walk out.” I snorted and nodded, and we continued to lay together in the bed.

After attempting to get out of bed a few times, we finally decided to get up and get dressed. I pulled a bra and then a blouse before my phone rang off to the side on the side table. I glanced at it before flinching. Crap, mom. She knows I did the dirty. I gulped and pulled it off the charger, pressing a button. “Hello?” I muttered as the bathroom door opened and Saeyoung walked out buttoning his jeans. He watched as I bit my lip, but I quickly said, “Yes mom, I met with Lexie last night…she told me yeah…but mom…” I stopped as I crossed my legs, and my eyes fell to the sheets. “I know mom…I know…” Sharply I inhaled and before I could argue she hung up. I stared at the phone in my hand before sighing and tossing it to the bed. Saeyoung walked over and crawled onto the bed, watching me. He allowed my silence for a moment before he questioned, “Is she mad at you?” I took a breath and shook my head, but whispered, “Dinner is at 6 tonight.”

I met with Jumin and Jaehee again for party preparations before I returned to the bunker for dinner prep. I walked into the door to see Saeran sitting at the dining room table with a smirk on his lips. My brow furrowed and before I could question it Saeyoung walked out with three ties around his neck, all of them undone and his underarms dark with perspiration. “Okay if I wear the cat one it’s too playful, and if I wear the solid color it’s too stern, but if I wear the diamond pattern one it seems floozy almost…” I took a breath and pulled out of my shoes, setting my purse on the couch. He watched me with frantic eyes before I grabbed all of the ties, one side in each hand before I pulled him back into the bedroom and shut the door. He sighed and pulled all of the ties from around his neck before I grabbed his biceps and said, “Why are you freaking out so much?” He stiffened as he looked me over, but said lowly, “I want your parents to like me…” I crossed my arms as he looked under his shoulders at the darkening spots before sighing and pulling off his current button up. He tossed it to the side and he walked over to his closet, but he looked back at me and said, “Your parents have enough experience with a bad son-in-law…I want them to see that I’m good…”   
I bit my lip as I leaned back on the bed and he rustled through his shirts, but he pulled a blue button out and I chirped, “Oh son-in-law eh? Planning ahead?” He shot a look and I merely crossed my legs with a grin, but he sighed and snatched a shirt off the hanger, pulling it on. This one was a plain black button-up, and I watched as he buttoned the center fastens. “I just want them to think I’m good enough for you.” He rolled up the sleeves and walked into the bathroom to give himself a look in the mirror, but he turned as I pulled myself from the bed and stepped over to him. “Saeyoung, they have seen me with black eyes and bruises and talked me through one of the worst relationships I have ever been through…if you make me happy then I’m sure they’ll be happy.” I straightened the collar on his shirt and then smiled at him as my hands rested on his chest. He merely exhaled slowly and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing me.

We parked and started to stroll up the sidewalk to the doors of the restaurant. As we walk up I noted Lexie standing by the door looking at her phone. While she was dazed I took this moment to run up to her, startling her slightly. She rolled her eyes as I giggled, but she eyed us both and said, “Mom and dad are on the way. I figured we could get a table.” I nodded and took Saeyoung’s hand again as we walked through the doors. Lexie and my parents picked a fairly fancy American restaurant, where each meal consisted of three courses. We were seated at a round table with enough chair, and as I set my purse down I noticed Lexie on her phone still. I studied her for a moment before I questioned, “So Lex…you seem enthralled with your phone.” She looked up with wide eyes as my eyes bore into her, one arm resting on the table with the other propping up my head in my palm. She fidgeted a bit with her phone still in her hands, but she muttered, “I’m talking to a guy…” I perked an eyebrow and glanced at Saeyoung to see him returning the gaze, but we looked back at her as she sighed and set her phone down. “Okay so…I met this guy at school. He seems nice and down the earth…”  
“But…?” I questioned, sensing her apprehension. Her hands fumbled in her lap for a bit as I continued to stare at her, but she admitted, “He’s 30 years old.” My eyes widened as Saeyoung choked on his water. She kept watching us as my face was wiped clean but before I could say anything her face perked behind us. She shoved her phone back into her purse as she stood, but said quickly, “Mommy! Daddy!” I gulped and shot Saeyoung a look, and he nodded, but we stood together. I turned and shimmied away from the chairs to see Lexie hugging our parents. My mom’s salt and pepper hair was pulled into a twist and pinned back. Her cream blouse shimmered under the lights as she smiled and said a few words to Lexie. I could see my dad’s glasses glisten as he stared at Saeyoung, but I walked over to him and hugged him. “Daddy it’s been a while,” I cooed, and his posture slackened immediately. “Hello, ladybug. We’ve missed you.”

We sat and ordered drinks before our meal. My mom and dad eagerly ordered wine and beer, and Saeyoung quickly declined them in favor of his soda. My father kept his eyes on him as he took a small sip from his beer and he questioned, “Saeyoung, you don’t drink?” He hesitated for a moment, and my hand reached over to squeeze his thigh. He kept his eyes on my parents though as he smiled and quietly said, “No not really. I’ve known too many people, who abused it freely.” My mom nodded slowly as my dad was still, keeping his gaze on my love. I swallowed and as my mom leaned in to speak to my dad, I eyed my own martini to the side. I didn’t drink heavily regularly, but I did enjoy the occasional glass of wine or cocktail now and then. As I looked back at Saeyoung he squeezed my hand. “Is your drink good?” I kept my eyes on him but I whispered quickly, “I never asked you, but-”

“I don’t mind.”   
I gave a slight nod and leaned back into my seat. Soon the appetizers were served and we quickly dug into our food.

We were fairly quiet while we ate, my mother and father, asking small questions for Saeyoung. Of course, he answered them flawlessly, and I mindless kept sipping my martini. I was worried about how my parents would perceive him, and so far the night seemed without error. Towards the end of the meal, I was talking amongst everyone when my father cleared his throat. We settled back into our seats as my parents each took a sip and wiped their mouths. “Marlee your father and I wanted to discuss this arrangement you had.” I eyed my mother at her words, and I gave a side glance to Saeyoung as he did the same. My father idly wiped his mustache and he muttered, “Marlee your mother and I had thoughts before coming here…” I felt a large hand squeeze my thigh and I kept my eyes on my parents. My father seemed a bit strained, struggling over his words. My mother glanced at him before giving a smile and saying quickly, “Saeyoung…I think you understand our hesitation in this matter.”  
“Yes ma’am, I completely understand.” My mother nodded and my father interrupted, pointed at Saeyoung with a stern look. “I want you to understand…our Marlee is precious to us and-”  
Saeyoung held his hand and my father stopped, but he glanced over to me and smiled. “Sir…” His gaze turned back to my father as he said confidently, “Marlee has brought sunshine into my life. I wouldn’t do anything to harm the sunshine that has helped my life so greatly.” My lips curved into a small smile and I finally released a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding. He rested his forearms on the table and fiddled with his fingers, but he slowly said, “If I can be completely transparent…my brother lives with me currently and I feel like her presence has helped him with his own insecurities and emotional obstacles.” I felt a familiar knot in my throat, full of emotion, but I merely pushed it back down into my chest. My mother seemed to be on the verge of tears but my father only cleared his throat again and nodded. I glanced over to Lexie, who had been quiet for the most part, and I gaped to see her tearing up. Saeyoung had them wrapped around his finger with his sweet words.   
“Saeyoung, thank you. We do think if Marlee is safe under your care and you both are happy, I see this relationship lasting long term.”

I giddily walked out to Saeyoung’s car as he pressed the unlock button. “I’m so glad that went as well as it did,” I chirped, reaching my door. Before I could grab the handle Saeyoung was behind me and his hand extending to open it for me. I flushed a bit as he leaned in and whispered, “Did you expect anything less? I’m offended.” I giggled as I slid into the seat and he shut the door, pacing over to his side. I happily wiggled in my seat as he opened his door and sat into the plush leather, shutting the door. Between the alcohol and my emotions, I kicked out of my heels and slid over the middle console to situate myself in his lap. His cheeks flushed as my fingers traced his jawline, running up into his hair. “Celebratory make out session?” I whispered, nearing his face. I felt his fingers run up my thighs as he grabbed each side of my butt, but he whispered back, “Right here in the parking lot?”  
“No time like the present, right?”   
He smirked as his lips grazed his, but one hand came up into my hair and tangled itself in my locks. I groaned and from there he pressed my lips back to his, kissing me now with urgency. My fingers tangled in his messy hair before he gave my butt a squeeze and a light smack. He was about to pull away and protest the advances but I leaned to the side and gave his lobe a slow nibble. His hips bucked involuntarily against my center, but he mumbled, “We’re about to do a lot more than make out if you aren’t careful.”  
“I’ve always wanted to have sex in a Maserati,” I whispered, and I felt his chest vibrate with a chuckle. His hands rubbed my back as I continued the kisses down his neck, but he grunted, “I’m sure your parents aren’t a fan of the show.” I froze and whipped my head to look out the driver's side window to see both of my parents staring at us. Shit. Shit. Shit.   
“How long have they been standing there?” I questioned, and Saeyoung shrugged. “Probably about the time you grabbed my hair, but I’m not complaining either way.” My body felt hot as I slid back over into my seat and before my parents could confront us I muttered, “Drive. GO!” He put the car in drive and hit the gas as I pulled the seatbelt across my body, hiding between the seat and the door. As we hit the main road he grinned and joked, “See I told your parents I made you happy.”


	14. Threat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a little NSFW in the beginning. It can be skipped after the lines

“You’ve heard of Sin City right?”  
“Yeah, that’s in Las Vegas…”   
I stood in the shower, waiting patiently for whatever was about to come out of Saeyoung’s mouth next. I heard him spit as he finished brushing his teeth and he questioned, “Well have you heard of Den City?” My eyebrows crinkled as I thought for a moment, the movements of my fingers slowing down. “No…?”  
“It's mass over volume silly.” It took me a moment as I repeated the last question in my head before I rolled my eyes. The shower curtain pulled back as he grinned at me, but as I tilted my head back into the shower stream I questioned dully, “Can I please ask have you tried that on Saeran or Vanderwood yet?” As I rinsed my hair he merely pouted. “Vanderwood wouldn’t even let me finish it and Saeran threw the remote at me.” His eyes trailed up to mine as I giggled, but he questioned, “Room for one more?” I grabbed my loofa and started to soap up, but I quipped, “If you make me late for the meeting with Jumin and Jaehee, I’m blaming you.”  
“Worth it.”  
Somehow I wasn’t surprised that he was already naked as he pushed the curtain back and stepped into the shower with me. He took the loofa from me and motioned for me to spin around which I did, and I felt the rough material press across my shoulders and then back. His fingers ghosted across my skin as he pushed my hair over my shoulder and he continued to soap me up. It seemed like time had sped by since I had met Saeyoung. We had been together for almost two years, and we fit together so well. There was never a dull moment with these three boys in the same house. And my new friends; they were my everything. In my life, I had never been surrounded by so many sincere, caring individuals before. At first, it was somewhat overwhelming, having people so ready to hear my qualms and put my mind to rest when I couldn’t do it myself. My anxiety had gotten to the point of being non-existent, even where my doctor started to wean me off of medication. Saeyoung made sure to stay on me about taking it consistently, even if I was getting better.

_______________________________

I sighed out as I felt the soap run down my body, but I paid no mind to his fingers weaving their way into my hair. At the back of my head, he gently gripped my locks and tugged my head back, his lips already attacking my neck. I gasped out as goosebumps coated my skin, but I groaned, “Saeyoung…”  
“Jumin and Jaehee can wait a bit right?” He moved towards my ear where he nipped at the lobe, his free hand coming around front to grasp my soapy breast. Between his fingers he rolled a pert nipple, eliciting another groan from me. My hips bucked slightly and I felt his hardness pressing against my butt. I wiggled my hips, and without hesitating he bit down on my neck, sucking against the slick skin. I gasped out as I felt his tongue over the abused skin. “You’re going to get me in trouble,” I whispered as I turned my head towards him. His lips turned up into a smirk as he latched onto mine, turning me completely towards him. My arms snaked around his neck as I pulled him into me, kissing him harder. His fingertips dug into my hips, grinding me slowly. My leg slowly rose to position itself on the small shelf behind him, but we heard a quick knock at the door. My lips froze on his as his eyes met mine, but he pulled away slightly and yelled, “Occupied.”  
“Saeyoung be serious for once.” The voice of Vanderwood echoed in the bathroom as I heard the door open, and we exchanged looks. Granted they were different looks. I was mortified to have Vanderwood find us in this position, however, Saeyoung seemed amused. I shook my head and before I could protest I felt his hard member fill me quickly. My mouth opened with a silent moan, my nails digging into Saeyoung’s biceps. He kissed the corner of my mouth as he started to move his hips, but he questioned smoothly, “What’s up Vandy?” I heard footsteps move towards the front of the shower as his hips continued to move into me. I bit my lip to stop any sort of noise fighting its way from my throat, but Vanderwood spoke. “I received a new mission from HQ, though it seems fairly easy. I wanted your opinion on it. It seems a bit out of the ordinary for what they usually give us.” The amusement seemed to die seeing that I was intent on being silent, but he pulled out completely just to thrust back in. I buried my face in his shoulder as a low groan rose from my throat. Vanderwood was silent but Saeyoung forced, “I’m a little busy right now. Can I talk to you about-” Without another word the door shut and now the only sound in the bathroom was the echo of skin slapping. I pulled my head to glare at him but he merely smiled and kissed my pouting lips. “That got rid of him fairly quickly.”

_______________________________

After scolding Saeyoung and continuing our fun, I quickly got ready for the day. Of course, making my way out of the bunker I had to completely avoid eye contact with Vanderwood as I made it out the door. Saeyoung offered to drive me to work but I assured him I was fine. The fresh air was nice on the short walk, and if needed there was a bus route heading towards the building. I was now halfway through my walk when Saeyoung sent me a message. I pulled my phone out to read the message.  
 _Madam said I need to control my urges :(  
_ I giggled as I swiped a message back.  
 _Now madam should know that when I’m around, you lose all control right?  
_ I glanced up to see the crosswalk signal red, and as I waited for it to change a reply came over quickly.  
 _I do indeed :) Have a good day at work. And tell Jumin it’s my fault for you being late._

As I walked to the entrance I noticed an increase of police and security around the front entrance. My steps faltered slightly as I glanced around, unsure if I should continue. As I reached the top of the steps, a police officer turned my way. One step in and I heard, “I’m sorry ma’am, you cannot enter.” I opened my mouth as I held up my badge, but he merely shook his head and turned away. Muttering ugly words and insults, I turned away and pulled my phone out. I dialed Jaehee’s number and waited patiently as it rang. “Hello?” she answered, and I was taken aback by how frazzled she sounded. I stuttered for a moment but I said quickly, “Jaehee it’s Marlee…”  
“Oh, Marlee…I’m so sorry, wait…” There was talking in the background, voices muffled over the line. My brows furrowed a bit before she came back. “Are you already inside the building?” I shook my head and answered a quick no before she sighed. “Mr. Han has instructed you to head back home. Stand in the front and call for Saeyoung to pick you up.”  
“Jaehee what-”  
“I’m sorry. We’ll contact you later. Just…get Saeyoung to transport you home safely.” With that, she hung up. I stared at the phone for a while before slowly dialing Saeyoung’s number. Jaehee’s attitude in the whole moment seemed a bit daunting, and I took her advice seriously. After a moment I heard his voice speak through the phone. “Yes ma’am?” I could hear his keyboard clicking in the background and I bit my lip. I hated to disturb him, but I muttered, “Can you…come pick me up?” The keyboard was silenced as the phone shifted against his ear, but he questioned quickly, “Are you okay? Where are you?”   
“I’m okay. I’m in front of the R&C building but there’s a lot of police here. Jaehee said to go home and-”  
“I’ll be there soon. Just stay where you are.” I smiled and nodded, saying a quick thank you before hanging up.

I stood silently as I occasionally glanced at the police officers as they stood watching me. Even with a badge, they seemed to be suspicious. A group of them started to watch me before I felt the hair on my neck stand on end. I cautiously walked down the patio stairs. As I reached the bottom I heard the rev of an incredibly loud engine. I turned my head to see a shiny red sports car turn the corner and come to a stop next to me. The window rolled down before I saw my handsome redhead smile at me. “You called?” Merely shaking my head I walked around to the other side as he cracked the door open for me. As I slid in, I placed my bag in the backseat and looked towards him. One hand was gripping the seat as he looked at the excess of security. I pulled my seatbelt taut before I questioned, “Saeyoung…?”  
“Let’s get home. I’ll contact Jumin later.” I gave a slight nod before he put the car in drive and drove away from the surrounded building.

That night I sat on our bed, scrolling through my phone as Saeyoung clicked away on his computer. There was silence between us, but as he turned towards me he yelped. I glanced up, oblivious to the skin mask I had put on just a few minutes ago. “Oh gosh, you scared me. I thought there was a monster in my bed.” I stuck my tongue out as he chuckled and looked back at his computer, but I glanced down as my phone buzzed. “Jumin joined the chat room…” I muttered, sliding onto my stomach. Saeyoung reached over to his phone on the desk, clicking it open with a few taps.  
  
 _[Marlee] Jumin there you are. What happened today?  
_ _[Jumin] Marlee hello. Is Saeyoung here?_

I glanced up from my screen to see him watching his phone, swiping a quick reply.

_[707] Yessir. Reporting for duty!_

I chuckled and lowered my eyes back to the phone, watching as Jumin replied.

_[Jumin] Saeyoung, I want you and Marlee to stay safe these coming weeks.  
_ _[Marlee] That’s pretty ominous…just us?  
_ _[Jumin] No, all members of the RFA should be on high alert._

Both Saeyoung and myself were staring at our phones now, interpreting Jumin’s message. I bit my lip as I stared at the screen, but Saeyoung typed in a quick message.

_[707] Jumin, what’s going on? Is this related to the cops surrounding your building earlier?  
_ _[Jumin] Yes. Someone sent a suspicious package to the R &C building early this morning. I didn’t open it, but the assistant who did suffer a mild cardiac arrest. There was a fine white powder in the box and it was addressed to ‘Mr. Han, RFA’._

I sat up in the bed, staring at the screen with wide eyes. Saeyoung now stood from his desk, the phone in his hands as he busily typed a response.

_[707] Was there a return address of some sort?  
_ _[Jumin] No return address. The authorities are trying to sort everything and determine the sender of the mail._

Saeyoung looked up at me and noticed my silence as I stared off, but he whispered, “Hey…” I jerked my head towards him as he settled on the bed next to me. The bed dipped a bit as he pulled his arm around me, but I questioned, “What if-”  
He shook his head and set the phone on the bed. “We can’t assume anything just yet. We just need to be cautious about what we’re doing…” I gave a slow nod as Saeyoung typed in something to the chat room, but my mind was currently buzzing. An attack on the RFA? Why? All we did was raise money for charities…who would attack us? I felt my chest tighten at the oncoming thoughts but Saeyoung set his phone on the bed and pushed me back into the sheets. I grunted as he did so, but he nuzzled into my neck as he muttered, “Stop overthinking. I know you.” I huffed and set my phone on my chest as his arms tightly wrapped around me. I turned into his snuggles but I muttered, “What do we do now?”

His lips pressed against my temple as he whispered, “We take things one step at a time. You can work from home, and if you need to go out someone will go with you.” I pouted at this news, thinking I had broken away from the intrusive care that I was given before. My perfect world was slowly falling back into the anxiety ball that I had grown accustomed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this has taken so long, and that it's so short. I took a bit of a break, just to relax as well as to think over how I wanted this to go. I'm back at it so expect a new chapter once a week :)


	15. Person of Interest

_I feel the need to endanger myself every so often ― Tim Daly _

One week after the attack and everyone was on high alert, and to say our daily routines changed was an understatement. Jumin issued security guards for everyone at all times. Of course, Saeyoung declined, citing that everyone in the bunker was perfectly safe. Zen was escorted around to auditions and rehearsals with a troupe of security, Yoosung attended his graduate studies with at least two security guards watching from the shadows. Jaehee was accompanied daily with her own group, from her apartment to work, and wherever else she traveled. Since my work was deemed nonessential was I was left to work from home, seated beside Saeyoung for the majority of the day. One day Jumin wanted to conference call, everyone, in the RFA for any changes they had seen. I sat tiredly in my chair, idly picking at my nails as Saeyoung spoke over his headset. “Jumin so far I can’t find much. Trying to track someone through an envelope lacking a return address isn’t the easiest task.” He tiredly ruffled his hair, but I glanced up and questioned, “You’ve looked at the CCTV footage surrounding the local post office right?” He gave a slow nod, pushing his glasses up to rub his eyes. I pursed my lips together as Zen’s voice came over the headset. “Well, we need to figure this out quickly before I get another question at auditions about security. Do you know how it makes me look carrying security around all the time?”  
“Famous yet paranoid?” I quipped, and from the corner of my eye, I could see Saeyoung crack a small smile.   
“Well everyone thinks I’m famous at school so I’m okay with it for right now,” Yoosung joked, and I merely sat back in my chair. There has to be a clue hiding somewhere. We couldn’t just wait for another attack to get more information. I chewed on my thumb as I heard paper crumble on someone’s line, but I questioned, “Jumin, what security have you implemented around the office?” I leaned forward towards the desk, my mind racing as Jumin rattled off everything that had changed. “We’ve brought in drug-sniffing dogs, incoming mail and packages are checked over carefully, everyone who enters is passed through a quick background check…” I sighed and rubbed my temples, leaning back in the chair again. Saeyoung glanced at me before pushing his headset back. “Hey go take a break. Go grab a snack or something.” His hand reached out and gave my shoulder a slight squeeze before I tiredly glanced at him and gave a slow nod. I pulled my headset off and leaned in to give him a quick kiss before walking out into the kitchen.

I opened the fridge to pull out two sodas, cracking open one. I stood at the counter for the longest time, running over thoughts in my mind. There had to be another clue, however small, hiding somewhere. I idly sipped the soda as I thought back to the post office. As I stood silently mulling over ideas, Saeyoung stepped out into the kitchen stretching his arms up. He walked over and lazily wrapped his arms around my shoulders, leaning into me. There he whispered, “You know I swore I saw smoke coming out of your ears…” He kissed the back of my head as he stepped towards his soda, but he jumped as I clumsily sat the can on the counter and ran to my computer. He stared for a moment as he watched me type something in, my head jerking up towards the monitor. He grabbed his can and stepped over to the doorway, watching me curiously. I read the monitor and then glanced at him. “Was the mail sent to R&C certified?” Saeyoung’s eyes crinkled, thinking for a moment before he muttered, “I think Jaehee mentioned it had some sticker on it…” He froze as he watched me pick up my headset, dialing back into the call. Waiting for a minute or two for connection, I was finally placed back onto the call with everyone. Before any formalities were exchanged, I questioned, “Jaehee, Jumin…was the envelope sent to the office certified mail?”   
There was a pause before Jaehee spoke, “It was.”  
“Do you guys happen to have any information that was on it?” I pulled out a pen and scrap paper as I waited, and Saeyoung sat back in his chair. I could hear rustling from the other end before Jaehee spoke, “There’s a signature of the assistant who received the mail, the parcel number for the envelope, and the routing number for the post office.”   
“What are the two numbers?” As she spoke I scribbled quickly the two notes, and I looked at Saeyoung as I extended it. “Post Offices are required to retain parcel numbers for a certain amount of time. If you have the parcel number-”  
“I might be able to find information on who sent it,” he completed, taking the paper from me and quickly typing information into his computer. I took a breath that I realized I was holding, but Jumin cleared his throat. “Wait, so we can identify this person?” I crossed my legs under myself in my chair, but spoke quickly, “If this person was a professional, they would have used an alias and not their legal name. But an alias is better than nothing at this point.” Saeyoung was silent as he continued reaching down the web of pages to find information based on those two numbers Jaehee gave me, but Yoosung spoke, “If we find an identity, then what next?” I sat for a moment, my brain starting up with new ideas, but Jumin spoke first. “If we find out who did this we can bring them to justice.”   
“An alias is just a start. Depending on how often they’ve done things like this, it might prove just as difficult to find them.” I glanced over to Saeyoung as he mumbled this, his fingers continuously hitting the keys. I watched him for a moment as there was silence over the call, but his fingers stopped typing as he grabbed the mouse as he glanced over the screen. I could see his eyes widen beneath his glasses but he muttered, “No way, there’s a name.” I jumped up from the chair as I tossed my headset in my chair, leaning into Saeyoung’s screen. There was a rough-looking photocopy of a receipt, complete with the Post Office attendant’s name, the date of shipment, and the name of the sender. His finger traced across the screen, and as he memorized it to type it into a new window Jumin questioned, “What is the name?” There was a silence between us and as he scrolled through a window he muttered, “Haru Jung.” My brow furrowed at the name, and I muttered, “That sounds like a real name…”  
“Yeah unless they got smart and used a fake name which is possible.” My teeth gnashed on the inside of my cheek, but I muttered towards Saeyoung, “Maybe a picture can be found and cross-referenced to the CCTV footage-” He took a hand and nudged me back, giving a little smile. “Sweetie this is my job. I know.” I pouted but he pulled the headphones to around his neck and gave me a quick kiss. “Though you are being impressive right now, I got this.” I gave a little nod and watched as he pulled the headset back on.

It was morning when I found myself snuggled in bed, Saeyoung still sitting at his computer. I pushed myself up with a groan but he glanced back at me. “Good morning princess. Sleep well?” I blinked several times, bringing my hand up to rub my eyes. He pulled his headphones from his head as he turned the chair, but I yawned. “When did I fall asleep?” He ran his fingers through his hair and glanced at his watch. After a moment, he glanced at his screen and said finally, “I think you passed out in your chair around 2 AM.” I groaned and rubbed my face, muttering a low _‘Sorry’.  
_ He made a face and pulled himself from the chair, crawling onto the bed. As he neared me he whispered through a smile, “Why are you saying sorry? You helped make a breakthrough...” I pouted but his hand reached forward and cradled my cheek, rubbing it idly with his thumb. I continued to pout but I watched as he neared my face and gave a soft kiss against my lips. “You deserved rest. Now, do you want to help with the next step?” My eyes widened as I nodded quickly, and he jumped off the bed. I crawled after him to see his computer screen littered with information. His finger pointed towards one corner as he spoke, “Haru lives here at this apartment complex about ten minutes from here. I was thinking of you driving the car while I intercepted her and tried to gather information.” My brow furrowed and I pushed his chair back, situating myself in his lap. Immediately I felt his hands rub down my hips and thighs, but I muttered as I glanced over his screen, “Why can’t I confront her?”   
I could feel his body tense under me, but he leaned back into his chair. “Well, …you could…” I glanced back at him to see a conflicted gaze, but he sighed. “If you’re in the car you’re safe. What if she has a weapon?” I made karate hand motions and I quipped, “I got this.”  
He rested his elbow on the arm of his chair as he looked me over, but as my hands fell he spoke, “You drive the car.”

I sat in the plush leather seating of Saeyoung’s shiny sports car, idly playing with the ebony wig Saeyoung had lent me. I was the getaway, letting him become the detective as he attempted to make contact with Haru. I wore a basic disguise as he thought _‘better safe than sorry’._ I glanced down at my phone to see if there was any correspondence from him, and so far nothing. I rested back in the chair and glanced up at the tall high rise apartment building. After a few minutes of silence, I decided to reach for the radio when a knock at the window startled me. I jumped and glanced up to see a uniformed officer, glaring down at me. I swallowed and lowered the window, peering up into his antagonizing eyes. “Yes sir?” He gave the car a once over before glaring back at me. “Do you have a parking permit for this apartment complex?” I froze momentarily, grasping the steering wheel. “Um, no sir. I’m just waiting for a friend to come out.” He grunted and glanced back up at the building, but immediately demanded, “Do you have an ID on you, ma’am?” I nodded and turned towards my purse in the passenger seat, my shaking hands digging through my purse. To not be noticed Saeyoung had made us both fake IDs, and now I was desperately trying to locate mine. Finally, I located it, tucked away in a small side pocket. I pulled out and handed it to him, feeling him snatch it from my hands. He glanced over it, flipping it once before looking back at the picture. His eyes peered at me from over the ID but he muttered, “Hana Kang?”  
I gave a quick nod, hoping the ruse we had set up went through. The officer gave a slight nod and handed back the ID card, but he muttered, “Be gone in 15 minutes, or I’ll bring down consequences.” Again I gave a silent nod as he walked forward away from the car. I shakily grabbed the phone and texted Saeyoung, _‘The cops told me to move within fifteen.’_ The phone rested in my lap as my foot tapped idly in the floorboard, but I turned to see familiar red hair walking towards the car. I swallowed and gripped the steering wheel as he opened the door. “Alright, we’re good.” He noticed my shaken face and before he could comment, I shifted the car into drive and pulled away from the complex. I took a deep breath as his gaze turned to notice the officers by the apartment. We turned a corner and he spoke lowly, “There was no trouble right?” I gave a curt nod, I pressed the gas and caused the car to jerk forward. Saeyoung gave me a look and I muttered, “Just the cops…they were questioning me…” He watched as I continued driving, but we reached a stretch of high way and his hand reached out to my thigh. I glanced over to see him giving me a reassuring smile, although slightly weak. “It’s okay…we’re out of there now.”

Once we reached the bunker, Saeyoung quickly got onto a call with Jaehee and Jumin. I prepared lunch while I listened in to their conversation. “Yeah, Haru was just a ploy. She had no idea what she was delivering. She said she was approached by two men wearing masks covering their mouths and noses. She just asked her to take the parcel to the Post Office and drop it off.” I scrunched my brows, thinking over the situation. As I assembled the sandwiches Saeyoung hummed, agreeing with the words over the headset. “Yeah, she had no idea who they were. She was fairly innocent in all of this. I didn’t want to tell her what was in the envelope to put her into any guilt.” As I set a sandwich on a plate, I heard a door open and I glanced back to see Saeran walk out of his room. I looked back at the plate but spoke quickly, “I made sandwiches. Do you want one?”  
“Yes please.” I gave a smile as he opened the fridge to pull a water bottle out, but I followed up the question. “Ham, tuna, or turkey?”  
“Um…turkey and cheese.” I nodded and quickly assembled his sandwich, but I looked to the side to see him nudge the mustard my way. I gave a low _thank you_ before squeezing a bit on the bread. I set it on his plate and handed it to him, and for a moment I noticed a hint of a small smile as he said his own _thank you._ I walked over to the sink and washed my hands before motioning to the pantry with my head. “There are some chips in the pantry if you want some with your sandwich.”  
“Do we have anything other than those god awful butter chips Saeyoung eats?” I snorted as I grasped the towel to dry my hands. The door squeaked as he opened it but I answered, “I did indeed buy different chips. It’s a variety pack so have your pick.” He nodded and I gave his arm a little pat as I walked past him. Saeyoung was pulling the headset off with a groan, ruffling his hair. I walked up behind him and slid my hands to his shoulders, my fingers starting to rub small circles against his tense muscles. He groaned and his head fell back against my stomach but he muttered, “So we’re back to where we started.” My hands trailed down his chest now, interlocking above his abdomen as I leaned my head next to his. I was looking over the picture of Haru he had located, but I muttered, “Did Haru say where these men approached her?” He shook his head, and whispered, “And before you try to outdo me in the agent department, I have already looked at CCTV footage around her apartment.” With that comment, I blew a raspberry in his ear, but kissed his cheek and pulled away. “Lunch is ready by the way.” As I walked back to the door I turned with a smirk to see him watching me. “And you can always admit that I’m the better agent. It’s fine. I won’t tell Vandy.”

We all sat in the living room, watching a movie, and eating our lunch. I sat between the brothers as I scrolled my phone, glancing through emails of party guests. I idly put a chip in my mouth but Saeyoung sighed loudly. I glanced over to him as he was staring off at the TV, but I asked as I looked back at my phone, “Still thinking about this stuff going on?” He nodded and slouched back into the couch while his fingers drummed against the arm of the couch. Setting my phone in my lap, I leaned onto him and muttered, “We’ll figure it out. And we’ll stay safe in the process.” He nodded and I felt his idle hand brush my hair from my forehead. We were quiet again as we half-heartedly watched the movie on the screen, but soon we heard beeping from the front door. I turned my gaze to the door as there was now a mumbling, but it clicked and Vanderwood stepped in. As he shut the door he noticed all of us on the couch. I was about to offer him a sandwich as well, but he started walking towards our bedroom. “Luciel I need to speak with you.” I could hear a loud groan come from Saeyoung and I giggled, pulling away as he stood up. I sat back upright on the couch as I watched him walk into the bedroom. “Yes ma’am?” He stepped in and shut the door behind him.

I busied myself cleaning the kitchen and dirty dishes. Saeran had retreated to his room again, leaving me alone in the main area. Saeyoung and Vanderwood had been in the room for almost ten minutes, and I needed my laptop. I tiptoed over to the door and knocked quietly, waiting patiently. With a click, it pulled open and I came face to face with Vanderwood. I gripped my hands together but pointed in the bedroom and spoke, “I just wanted to get my laptop.” He nodded but turned to Saeyoung. “Let me know tonight.” Saeyoung gave a quiet as I stood to the side, allowing Vanderwood to pass. My eyes followed as he stepped out of the front door, finally shutting it. I looked back at Saeyoung as he was staring off, quiet as I slipped in. Curiosity was churning on the inside, but I knew I couldn’t question much about what he and Vanderwood spoke about. I glanced around but meekly questioned, “Can I get on my computer in here?” He glanced up at me and nodded, but as I sat down in my chair he sighed and stood from his own. Before I could slip my headset on he walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my neck. He nuzzled his face next to my own, but he whispered, “I love you, you know that right?” As he planted a kiss to my temple and released his grip I turned the chair slightly to face him. I pursed my lips and acted like I was thinking, but I chirped, “I think I do…” I grinned at his eye roll, but he leaned in and planted a kiss to my lips, and my hand touched the side of his face gently. I was somewhat worried about the context that prompted this kiss, but he broke away and kissed my nose. “I’m going to get a shower real quick.” I nodded as he pulled away, pulling his jacket off and tossing it to the bed. I watched as he disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Now my brain was wracked with curiosity, but for now, I would just sit and stew with ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone notice the alias for Marlee was Hana Kang, the name of the MC from the new Mystic Messenger comic? :D


	16. (Next Chapter Coming Soon)

My goodness, I am so sorry this next chapter is taking so long. Lack of motivation has taken its toll and I have not been writing for any stories at the moment. (Rereading but not adding) I hope to have the next chapter up within the next day or so, and for everyone waiting thank you for being so patient <3


	17. Intruders

It wasn’t long until the guards' presence in everyone’s lives started to grind them mentally. Each night we took part in conference calls, and each night both Yoosung and Zen complained about having armed guards around them constantly. Still, I worked from home, organizing the party, and coordinating with guests. At one point I asked Saeyoung and Jumin should we still hold a party to which they both agreed that alerting the guests to any danger would harm the attendance. So I continued, writing emails, and taking guest recommendations.

It was late at night, well past midnight with both Saeyoung and myself sitting at our computers. He was taking a bit of time off from his agent duties to engage Yoosung in a ‘friendly’ game of LOLOL. I sat at my computer writing up a quick letter to give our guests a tentative timeline when out of nowhere Saeyoung gave a loud cheer. Over his laughing, I heard a whining over the headset, and I pushed one ear of my headset to the side. “Did you just upset Yoosung?” He grinned at me and nodded, and heard the continued cries from the poor blonde over the headset. I sat and thought with my elbow propped on the desk, but spoke, “Why does Yoosung get so upset when you beat him, and yet he rages whenever I beat him?” I watched as Saeyoung pulled the headset from his ears and he crossed his arms. “I think Yoosung has an idea that he’s supposed to be the best player hands down. But beaten by a female player? Catastrophic.” I snorted as Saeyoung started to pull the headset back onto his head before we heard a scream from the other room. Both of us jumped up from our chairs, running to Saeran’s room. “Saeran? You okay?” The screaming continued as Saeyoung opened the door, rushing inside to see his brother shaking on the bed. “Hey, HEY! Wake up!” Saeyoung grabbed his brother by the biceps and shook him, waking him from his trance. Saeran sat and stared at his double, teary-eyed, and visibly distressed, but he shouted immediately, “Get off me!” Saeyoung let go and sat back as he watched Saeran grasp his head, his fingers tightly woven into his hair. I stood by the doorway, biting my lip as we both watched his brother fidget. After a moment of silence in an attempt to calm him, Saeyoung reached out for his brother. A hand slapped him away with a cry, but I took a step in. “Saeran, sweetie… it was just a dream. A harmless dream…” I carefully sat on the bed as Saeran’s eyes found mine, his breathing slowing down. Saeyoung was quiet as I attempted to calm his brother, but I questioned, “Do you need water?” His eyes were still wide with panic but he frantically nodded. I stood from the bed and paced to the kitchen where I filled a glass with cool water. I walked back to the bedroom and handed him the water which he took gratefully. I kept my eyes on him, reliving all of the times my brain betrayed me by giving me nightmares instead of rest. I lived through the same thing for the longest time, and to an extent, I understood his pain. He slowly drank the water, his hands still shaking. As he finished I took the glass from him as he rubbed his face. We were silent as we watched his shaken form, but slowly he whispered, “Marlee?” My eyes perked at my name, but he glanced up at me. I glanced down to see him extend his hand towards me, and I took it quickly, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I sat there in silence with him as I held his hand, but Saeyoung questioned lowly, “Do you want me to leave?” Saeran glanced at his brother but merely gave a slight nod. Saeyoung nodded as well and squeezed my shoulder, pulling himself from the bed. I kept him in my peripherals as he stepped out but as the door shut I whispered, “Do you want to talk about it?” Saeran was quiet for a moment before shaking his head, but I asked now, “What do you need from me?” He looked up and I could see the tears dried against his face. He seemed to be debating his answer and he whispered, “Do you think Saeyoung would mind if you just lay here with me?” I shook my head and without a second thought crawled next to him. He situated himself under the covers as I laid on top, but I noticed his hand squeeze mine again. “Thank you,” he whispered.  
“Shh, don’t worry about it.” I brought my idle hand up to stroke his head, but I whispered, “Just close your eyes and try to get back to sleep. I’m right here.”

After a while, Saeran slipped back into sleep and I crept out of his room. As I walked back into the shared room with Saeyoung he glanced up at me from his computer screen. “He okay?” I nodded quickly and stepped back to my computer, sliding into the seat. I started to pull on my headset before I hesitated, and then my gaze turned to Saeyoung. “You don’t have a problem with me comforting Saeran right?” I watched as he sat back into the chair, his hand resting on his thigh. “To be honest…I’m glad he finds comfort in someone, even if it isn’t me.” As I settled into my chair again I noticed his smile, and then I only gave a little chuckle.

The coming weeks were taxing on all of us. Nothing changed, and we all continued our nightly chats to discuss business. It was a week later that I watched Saeyoung get dressed and pack a backpack with supplies. I watched him slide everything inside before I questioned, “You’ll be okay right?” He turned and gave me a smile before sliding a solar charger in the backpack. He neared me and I straightened up where I sat on the bed. His knee pressed against the mattress and I felt myself dip with his weight. His hands slipped under my jaw as he pulled my face up towards his, and he hovered a few inches away from me. My lips curved up into a smile as he suddenly peppered kisses across my face, but he finally planted a kiss on my lips, pulling away with an audible ‘ _mwa’._ “I’ll be fine, I promise. This is a fairly routine mission, and I’ll be home before you know it.” He gave me another kiss before I nodded and I heard footsteps echo by his door. I turned my gaze to see Vanderwood walk by with his own bag. Saeyoung pulled the bag onto his back and walked into the living room as I shuffled behind. Vanderwood turned to watch us walk out, but he questioned Saeyoung, “Got everything?”  
“Yes ma’am.” I could see Vanderwood stiffen but he questioned, “Clean clothes?”  
“Yep.”  
“Car keys?”   
Saeyoung patted his side pockets, and then his jacket pocket before hearing a jingle and nodding again. Vanderwood rattled off a list as Saeyoung continued to nod, and finally, they headed towards the front door. I received a final kiss from Saeyoung before he smiled and stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

I stepped back into our shared bedroom and as I reached for the notebook in my desk chair, I heard beeping as the front door unlocked and opened. I made a face and pulled away from the chair, wondering if Saeyoung left something behind. One step I took towards the doorway before I saw him race to meet me, his eyes wide. I stared at him for the longest time but after the silence became awkward, I perked my eyebrows and muttered, “Sae?”   
He straightened up in the doorway and stepped away, and before I could question anything he stepped back to the doorway. “Marlee, I need to talk to you before I leave.” I stared at him as his eyes darted around the room and as he stepped in he started to mutter to himself. I crossed my arms and stood as he paced into the room, behind me, into the bathroom, and then back in front of me. I started to worry and I glanced around with him. “Are you missing something? Can I help find it? Where can-”  
“Marry me.”  
I froze for a moment before my head turning stiffly back to him. He was watching me before jumping and shoving his hands into his back pocket, pulling out a silver band. He fell to one knee, his eyes seeming desperate. My eyes kept his for a while, mulling over the words spouted from his mouth. “M-marry you?” He audibly gulped and nodded, and the ring between his fingers started to shake. My mouth gaped slightly, and the silence felt heavy across my shoulders. After a moment I noticed his face falter, and I stumbled over an excuse. “Wait no, Saeyoung…you don’t seriously want to marry me right?” His hand fell slightly and I kneeled in front of him. I took his free hand and whispered, “I’m…broken. I’m no good for you…” My gaze lowered to the floor, and I felt my eyes water. To marry Saeyoung, to be his wife would make me so happy…but I carried so much baggage with me. How could that be good for both of us? His brows furrowed and his lips curved into a frown, but his fingers grazed my chin and pulled my face to look him in the eye. He noticed the start of tears and his other hand left mine and wiped my face. “Marlee, do you think I’m _not_ broken?” I stuttered for a moment and he shifted to both knees. “Marlee I love you. It doesn’t matter if you’re ‘broken’. I’m broken too, but with you in our little family...me and Saeran, and even Vanderwood. I want you to stay here with us, and please…be my wife.” At his words, I felt my skin flush with heat, and I couldn’t help but smile. Before I could say anything the front door beeped and I heard Vanderwood shout, “Luciel if I have to come get you-”  
“Yes.” Saeyoung turned back to me as I gave a smile, but he smiled back and took my left hand, sliding the ring on my finger. He took my face in both hands, planting a kiss on my lips before jumping up and racing out of the bedroom.

I lay in bed that night, staring at the ring on my finger. It was a simple silver band with a diamond in the middle, marquis in shape with two small round diamonds on the size. It was vastly different from my engagement ring before and a bit smaller, but I didn’t care. Suddenly this was the most beautiful piece of jewelry I ever held. It was a few minutes later I noticed my cheeks were sore from smiling, and I gently pat my cheek in an attempt to remedy the tinge. I rolled over to grab my phone, and as if on cue, I felt it buzz with a call. Saeyoung’s name popped up and I quickly pressed accept, pressing the phone to my ear. “Hello there,” I spoke, and I heard sheets ruffle on his end. “Hello, Mrs. Choi…getting ready for bed?” The smile that died from my lips gained new power as I squinted my eyes and giggled. “Yep, laying in bed now…I keep staring at my ring, it’s so pretty.” I switched the phone to my other hand to stare at my ring again before I heard him chuckle. “You know, I planned on proposing properly…just leaving you again for a mission, something told me to just do it.” I felt a familiar flutter in my chest as I wiggled in the sheets but I giggled, “I’m glad you did.” For a moment we talked, and then said goodnight. I settled into the bed with my arm tucked under the pillow again as I drifted off to sweet dreams.

I rested in the bed, still heavily asleep before my phone started a faint ring for a call. I fidgeted slightly under the covers, and as the tune ended I flipped over to shy away from the brightened screen. After a second the phone started to ring again and I groggily lifted my head to squint at my phone. Lazily I reached my hand over to grab it up, swiping up and pressing the phone to my ear. Before I could even speak Saeyoung’s voice spoke frantically, “Marlee, is Saeran home?” I sat up in bed for a bit before I muttered, “Sae, what?”  
“Marlee is my brother home, yes or no?” I stuttered for a bit before throwing my legs over the edge of the bed. “He went out earlier when I was laying down. I’m not sure if he’s home now…”  
“Go check. Now.” I nodded and jumped from the bed as I paced to his bedroom, knocking. As I knocked the door pushed open slightly to see an unmade bed. “Sae he’s not here…”   
I could hear him curse on the other end and soon his hurried typing on the keyboard filled my ear. “Saeyoung what’s-”  
“Jumin? Yeah, I’m sorry it’s late… I need you to send bodyguards to my address…” I felt my heart jump into my throat as I heard his words in the background, but he spoke into my ear, “Marlee I need you to go back into our bedroom with a kitchen chair, you’re going to wedge it under the door handle once you get in.”  
“Saeyoung what is going on?”   
“Two men are coming up the driveway to the house. I need to lock yourself somewhere until Jumin gets his bodyguards there…” My mouth gaped but I heard the lock on the front door shift. “Marlee get to the bedroom. I can only hold them off for so long.” My legs stiffly moved me forward, and as I reached the bedroom I stopped, turning my gaze to the mysterious third bedroom. Vanderwood always went in there to get bags for missions, did that include weapons? My teeth nervously gnashed at the inside of my cheek before I ran over to the third bedroom. Conveniently it was unlocked, and I stepped inside and shut the door.   
“Did you get in the bedroom?”  
“Yeah,” I muttered, looking over the darkness attempting to fumble around for a light switch. Once I found a light, the room was dimly lit to show a neat bedroom with a single bed. What looked like a gun safe was situated in a corner, and I ran over to it to tug on the handle. Locked of course, but next to the safe I saw a baseball bat. I grabbed that up before running back towards the door. Before I shut the light off a small black contraption caught my eye. It was a taser, settled on the side table next to the bed. Furrowing my brow I turned down the call volume on my phone and set it on the side table in exchange for the taser. I switched the light off and waited behind the door. I knew Saeyoung was panicking as now I wasn't responding to whatever prompts he was giving me, but I had to defend myself. I wasn't going to be taken advantage of again. I refused to be abused and beaten after everything that has happened. It felt like forever as I felt the sweat run down my back, but soon the front door clicked and I heard it swing open. From the living room, I heard a gruff voice mutter something before hearing another door opening down the hall. Suddenly the door in front of me opened and I tensed, watching a hand reach for the light switch. My vision adjusted quickly as I watched a tall man walk into my vision and before he could react, I swung the bat hard into his face. He groaned as he stumbled back into the living room, falling back onto the coffee table. “You bastard what happened?” another voice spoke, and soon another man walked into the room. I swung the bat again, this time for his ribs before his hand stopped it from impact. I froze as he snatched it from me tossing it to the side. In a haze he growled and lunged, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into him. I screamed as he twisted my arm, and as he attempted to wrap an arm around me he scowled, “Bitch quit fighting! Just come peacefully or-” He gasped out as I pulled slightly away to angle the taser at him, digging under his shirt for bare skin.

He faltered back as I ran over to the bat, turning with a hard swing as it made contact with his forehead. This knocked him backward with his friend and I ran out the front door. As I reached the street I could see a black van and a black car pull up, and I was aimed to take everyone on before the door of the car opened and Jumin appeared. My arms fell slightly before I watched as the van opened and multiple men in suits stormed the bunker. I took a labored breath before he walked over to me and spoke with his hands lifted in defense, “I suggest you lay your weapons down ma’am, and let's get you somewhere safe."


End file.
